At the newly opened Evanston Jewish Women’s Center, playing Mahjong and practicing Judaism aren’t separate activities. Instead, they unite the secular and the observant.
The center’s mission is “to be a place for Jewish women of all spectrums of Jewish life to come together, connect, learn and continue on in their journey to Judaism,” said Karyn Bass, a member of the center’s board of directors.
Located in the back apartment of 2153 Ashland Ave., the center encourages Jewish women of different lifestyles and traditions to meet and mingle.
“There are not a lot of places where Jews of different denominations gather,” said Dina Elenbogen, a board member.
Since first unlocking its porch-screen door Oct. 15, more than 300 women have participated in the organization’s programs. Although involvement is less than initially anticipated, the center embraces its small size, Elenbogen said.
When the center was in its preliminary planning stage, Elenbogen said, approximately 20 women expressed interest in each class. But because only six women usually attend, the center has had to adjust its way of thinking. Six women to a class is “just as good as 20 women,” she said.
Preparations for the center began in spring when a member of Ma’yan, a Jewish women’s center in New York, visited Chicago and encouraged local women to create a similar organization.
After an initial meeting in June, board members held focus groups, relying on word of mouth to spread interest. Four months later, the center officially opened.
“It’s really taken a life of its own,” board member Tamy Jacobs said.
Run by a board of directors, all of whom play an active role in the Jewish community, the non-profit organization relies on volunteers and tuition from its classes to operate. To help out, board members take turns answering phones, checking messages and teaching classes.
Fees are suggested for the courses, but payment is optional, with participants urged to give only what they can afford. Women who do give money place contributions in a large vase, keeping them anonymous.
“We have women who are in a crisis situation who can’t pay anything but might want to come to a class,” Jacobs said.
The center offers a variety of options for courses, ranging from art classes to discussion groups about dating. In Yoga in a Jewish Light, participants assume body positions that duplicate letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Study courses and playwriting workshops also explore different types of Jewish literature and theater.
“It really does make it a great way to work out and feels like a spiritual experience,” said member Iris Jacobson, describing her NIA dance class, in which dancers use Jewish music.
Even though most members are older, many board members said they are actively seeking ways to engage university students. Many programs, such as the Mahjong group that is popular across generations, are applicable to women of all ages, Jacobs said.
Bass said she thinks the center can supplement Hillel Cultural Life, the main Jewish organization on Northwestern’s campus.
“For a lot of Jewish women in college, Hillel is a great possibility but often not the first place you think of turning,” she said.
The center is planning ways to draw in college-age women, including a possible Shabbat dinner and firesides at sororities on campus, Bass said.
“We would love to have a Northwestern presence,” Jacobs said.
Shira Bergstein, an Education sophomore, said she thinks the center could attract students if it presents the right programs.
“It sounds kind of cool,” she said, adding that she would be interested in programs that offer free food or discussions on contemporary issues.
