About Us

Beth Hillel Temple is a loving community in Kenosha, Wisconsin with members from within Kenosha county and surrounding areas. Our members are committed to social justice, spiritual development, and lifetime learning. Within our congregation, close connections are formed that last a lifetime, learning from one another, supporting each other in times of need, enjoying good times and fun activities.

The Building

Located on Kenosha’s Library Square, the neo-classic synagogue building is part of the Historic Library Park District. Our congregation was founded in 1925 and our building was erected in 1927. We are proud to have recently completed a project to remodel our building and make it accessible to all.

Staff &
Leadership

Strategic
Plan

Rabbinic Transition

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Beth Hillel

Our Mission

The purpose of Beth Hillel Temple is to create a community for those who wish to connect with a Reform Jewish congregation:

To promote and to enable its members to dedicate themselves to the fundamental principles of Judaism
To help ensure the continuity of the Jewish people
To foster the vibrancy of Reform Judaism through
- Torah: life-long learning
- Avodah: spiritual growth and worship of God through prayer and observance
- G’milut chasadim: acts of lovingkindness
- Tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Our People

The core strength of our congregation lies in its people. The unwavering commitment displayed by the members of Beth Hillel Temple is a testament to our vibrant community. This dedication is clearly evident through our extensive array of programs, the invaluable contributions of our volunteers, and the active involvement of our youth. Our members celebrate joyous occasions together, support one another in times of mourning and healing, share learning experiences, and come together in prayer.

At the heart of our congregation, our volunteers selflessly give their time and effort not for personal recognition, but out of a deep-rooted pride in our community. Their dedication is visible through formal structures like the Leadership Council and Committees, as well as in more informal capacities such as teaching in our religious school, lay leading services when the Rabbi is unavailable, guiding programs in the afternoon on Yom Kippur, and hosting Onegs.

Throughout each facet of our congregation, a prevailing sense of home and belonging is shared among both members and guests alike. Our membership beautifully represents a rich diversity of Jewish backgrounds, including interfaith families and a wide range of lifestyles. Together, we create a welcoming tapestry that encapsulates the essence of community and embraces the values that define Beth Hillel Temple.

The Sanctuary Windows

WINDOW 1

God creates light and darkness, the heavens and the water, earth and vegetation, the change of seasons and time as we know it. God's creative power enters the universe, represented by circle of pulsating light.

WINDOW 2

God creates the higher forms of life, including humanity. The man and women are faceless figures standing before the tree of knowledge, good and evil. God has provided humans with creative powers, but has left the choice of how best to use those powers in human hands.

WINDOW 3

God is revealed in holy moments. In the wilderness, God revels the Divine Presence through a burning bush. Because Moses opens himself to the possibility of God's presence in his life, God is known through the words Ehiyeh asher ehiyeh, "I am that I am".

WINDOW 4

God is revealed in holy words. The central act of revelation in Jewish theology is the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Jewish tradition teaches that all Jews, past, present and future, stood at Mount Sinai and came into the covenant with God --thus the faceless masses at the foot of the mountain.

WINDOW 5

God redeems us from oppression and suffering. Here, the darkest moment in our history as a people, the Holocaust, is depicted with the Hebrew word Zachor, "Remember", and a memorial flame. Still, a path of hope leads to the establishment of the State of Israel and promises hope of redemption yet to come.

WINDOW 6

God helps us dream of a redemption far greater than any of the past. A rainbow and a dove from the Biblical flood story and a light reaching up toward the heavens seek to portray the Jewish vision of the dawn of a messianic age; of shalom, peace, for all humanity and all the world.