About Kesser Maariv
Congregation Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Kesser Maariv Anshe Luknik
Leadership
Rabbi Louis Lazovsky
A lifelong Chicagoan, Rabbi Louis Lazovsky attended Akiba Jewish Day School, Ida Crown, Roosevelt University and The Harris School of Public Policy Studies of The University of Chicago. He attended Brisk Rabbinical College, receiving Semicha from Harav Hagaon Ahron Soloveichik zt”l in 1977. For nearly five decades, Rabbi Lazovsky has involved himself in helping those in need – including immigrants, the indigent and the Jewish Day Schools in Chicago. He has held numerous positions in education as a high school teacher, Mashgiach in Yeshivah and college administrator. Since 1987 he has held positions of increasing responsibility at the Jewish United Fund and is currently a Vice President. Rabbi Lazovsky is a past Chairman of the Board of the Midwest Business Group on Health. He has been an officer of both the Merkaz Harabbonim of Chicago and the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and has chaired committees and led projects and activities on behalf of the Chicago Jewish community.
Rebbetzin Saretta Lazovsky
Rebbetzin Saretta Lazovsky has been Rebbetzin for over 40 years and has been a constant source of support to the shul and its members throughout the entire time – from lending a compassionate ear to those who need, to coordinating events and kiddishes, to quietly helping those who require assistance in all stages of life, and so much more, she has truly kept the shul going for over 4 decades.
Rabbi Ben Zion Lazovsky
Rabbi Ben Zion Lazovsky attended Arie Crown Hebrew Day School and graduated from Yeshivas Brisk High School under the leadership of Rav Ahron Soloveichik zt”l, whose Friday Parsha Shiur was the highlight of the week. Ben Zion would attentively listen and glean profound Torah insights, which, along with his other learning, would come to form a foundation of Torah knowledge that would continue to expand and grow. After studying in Israel for two years, Rabbi Ben Zion returned to Chicago to continue his Torah studies under Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik shlit”a, from whom he received Rabbinic Ordination in 2003. He serves as Court Secretary for the Merkaz HaRabannim of Chicago, is involved with Chesed, and has supervised the Kashrus of MRE’s for the U.S. military. He also has been involved in transcribing, translating, and editing various Torah Novallae of Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik and Rabbi Meyer Juzint. He also received semicha from Harav Dayan Gedalia Dov Schwartz zt”l, Av Beis Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council Beth Din and of the Beth Din of America, under whose guidance he gained practical experience in the writing and delivery of Gittin.
Rabbi Ben Zion received Masters Degrees in Mathematics and Education. Rabbi Ben Zion has taught math, physics and economics at the high school and college levels.
Rabbi Ben Zion has taught many Kesser Maariv children for their Bar Mitzvahs. He has always given of his time to mentor younger students, as he did at Kerem B’Yavneh and other Yeshivot. He also delivers shiurim at the shul. Rabbi Ben Zion is known to answer questions posed to him by congregants not only orally, but also by pulling out a Sefer and pointing to the exact section where that question is discussed. He delivers topical Torah lectures in the shul, which are known for their breadth and depth. He is involved in seeing to the spiritual needs of the shul, along with managing the physical needs of the shul.
Board of Directors
Led by President Steven D. Goldrich.
Women’s Council
Prior to 1993, the Shul had both a Sisterhood and Women’s Council. Upon our move to Skokie in 1993, they merged into one Women’s Council, which supports the shul with programming and other forms of support.
Our History
Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Kesser Maariv Anshe Luknik is the oldest orthodox congregation in the midwest. The congregation’s first minyan took place under the name of Bnai Jacob Congregation in 1865, using a Torah sent to them by David Zemansky, a trader from New York. Mr. Zemansky arrived in Chicago one year later and started a separate minyan in his home. The two congregations merged in March 1867 under the name Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Ubnai Jacob. The Congregation’s first building was located on Pacific Avenue, south of Van Buren Street on land purchased from Henry Horner. The synagogue soon engaged their first spiritual leader, Rabbi Todras Ticktin. A cheder and Talmud Torah were quickly established, as were burial grounds.
The congregation moved and merged several times during its long and distinguished history, including sites in downtown Chicago, the south side, the west side and, most recently, the East Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago’s north side.
Independent of the development and growth of Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Ubnai Jacob, the Lukniker Shul (named after the city of Luknik (Luoke, Lithunia, near Telz) was established on the west side and Congregation Kesser Maariv was formed (in East Rogers Park) in the late 1920s. Both of these Congregations were to play a role in the move of Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Ubnai Jacob to Chicago’s north side. During the 1940s, prior to the disintegration of the old west side Jewish community, the Lukniker Shul and Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Ubnai Jacob merged, incorporating the names of both former congregations. The rabbi of the new congregation was Rabbi Zev W. Wein (father of Rabbi Berel Wein).
Congregation Kesser Maariv held a mortgage-burning dinner on February 13, 1944, when it successfully retired the debt on a wood-frame house it had acquired at 6418 N. Greenview Avenue. The rabbi of the congregation at that time was Rabbi Chaim Grunum Lando (a son-in-law of the great posek HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem). At that dinner, the congregation announced plans for a capital campaign to construct a new synagogue building. These plans continued under the able rabbinic leadership of several rabbis who took over for Rabbi Lando (who moved back to Israel), including Rabbi Nathan Gordon who was followed by Rabbi Victor Segal.
At the same time that Kesser Maariv was looking for needed funds, Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Anshe Luknik was looking for a new home. A merger of the congregations took place in 1954, when it was agreed that Rabbi Zev Wein would become the rabbi of the merged entity. During the period of Rabbi Wein’s leadership, a congregational school building was constructed in 1958. Rabbi Wein retired in 1984, and was replaced by Rabbi Louis Lazovsky. By 1984, the Congregational membership had started to decline as the Jewish population center shifted to West Rogers Park and Skokie; the neighborhood started to show signs of decay.
The neighborhood around the congregation continued to deteriorate during the ensuing years. On August 23, 1989, gangs broke into the congregation causing over $30,000 in damage but, thankfully, the Torahs and religious articles were not destroyed. During the High Holiday season of 1990, there were again incidents of violence, with rocks thrown at the congregation’s windows during Rosh Hashanah. Windows were actually shot out by gangs during the Kol Nidrei address. As a result of the escalating nature of the violence, the congregation sold the synagogue and school building in December of 1990. The congregation held Shabbat services and classes in the Lincolnwood home of Rabbi Louis and Saretta Lazovsky, until a new and permanent home was identified and acquired in late 1993 in Skokie, Illinois. The first minyan on the new property was held in December 1993.
In addition to site development which began immediately, innovative educational programs including programs for adults, children and families were initiated. Numerous education programs for all age levels were introduced that provided first hand opportunities to learn about Judaism while serving others.
The Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) was built in Europe in the 1830s and brought to the Lukniker Shul in Chicago in the first half of the 1900s. The picture above shows the Aron between 1950s ad 2010. It was restored in 2010 by Craig Graybar Furniture Works of West Allis, Wisconsin.
