About Congregation Beth Shalom

Congregation Beth Shalom is an unaffiliated community synagogue – a pluralistic, inclusive, participatory, and egalitarian blending of many Jewish traditions. We welcome members of all ages, family structures, and religious backgrounds.

Our home is in DeKalb, Illinois, 60 miles west of Chicago and the home of Northern Illinois University (NIU).  We are the only Jewish entity in the county and the only synagogue for at least 30 miles in every direction.

Our members come from a wide spectrum of Jewish traditions, primarily Reform and Conservative, but also interfaith, Orthodox, and secular. We respect each other’s traditions, appreciate each other’s talents, share each other’s joys and sorrows, and work together to shape our congregation to serve our members. We do everything that larger congregations do, just often on a smaller scale.