Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Rite | Black Hebrew Israelite |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
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| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 6601 South Kedzie Avenue, Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois 60629 |
| Country | United States |
 Location in Greater Chicago
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| Architecture | |
| Founder | Rabbi Horace Hasan |
| Date established | 1918 (as a congregation) |
Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, more commonly known as Beth Shalom B'Nai Zaken EHC, or simply Beth Shalom, abbreviated as BSBZ EHC, is a Black Hebrew Israelite congregation and synagogue, located at 6601 South Kedzie Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The congregation is led by rabbi Capers Funnye; and assistant rabbis are Avraham Ben Israel and Joshua V. Salter. Beth Shalom is affiliated with the International Israelite Board of Rabbis.
Overview
The congregation has approximately 200 members, the majority of whom are African American. The congregation was started by Rabbi Horace Hasan from Bombay, India, in 1918 as the Ethiopian Hebrew Settlement Workers Association, and was influenced by Wentworth Arthur Matthew's Commandment Keepers.
Along with African-Americans, members include Hispanic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews, as well as former Christians and Muslims. As is traditional with Judaism, they do not seek converts, and members must study Judaism for a year before undergoing a traditional conversion requiring men to be ritually circumcised and women to undergo ritual immersion in a mikvah.
The congregation has been described as being "somewhere between Conservative and Modern Orthodox" with distinctive African-American influences; while men and women sit separately as in Orthodox synagogues, a choir sings spirituals to the beat of a drum. It follows traditional Jewish liturgy and laws, including Sabbath and "a modified version of kosher dietary laws".
The congregation is currently housed in a previously existing synagogue purchased from the Lawn Manor Hebrew Congregation, a Conservative temple of Ashkenazi Lithuanian Jews at West 66th Street and South Kedzie Avenue in the Marquette Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.
