Chicago Innovation Hub

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Welcome!


Are you looking for Jewish clergy for your upcoming wedding or baby naming? Seeking help on your journey to conversion? If you’re looking for support with a lifecycle event or to find inclusive Jewish events and meet other interfaith couples at your life stage, we’re here to support you. We have non-judgmental staff to help guide and connect you and a wealth of experience in the 18Doors Chicago Innovation Hub.

We are thrilled to have Tani Prell, our Chicago Community Director, and two Rukin Rabbinic Fellows in Chicago, Rabbi Steven Philp and Rabbi Todd Zinn, to support you.

Tani is here to connect couples looking to engage with Jewish life and each other through casual events around the city and Rabbis Todd and Steven run events for interfaith/intercultural couples to socialize and discuss relevant issues and workshops to reflect on your backgrounds, differences and similarities and discuss your hopes, plans and dreams for the future. Rabbis Todd and Steven are also available for one-on-one consultations and to refer you to local Jewish clergy and organizations that welcome interfaith/intercultural couples and families. Contact them at chicago@18Doors.org 

Our Events


Mon 27

Matzah and Eggs: Navigating Passover and Easter (National) – Online

March 27 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT
For interfaith couples and families, what does celebrating both Passover and Easter holidays look like? We may look forward to the spring holidays and feel anxiety about the tensions they bring with them at the same time. Join 18Doors Rukin Rabbinic Fellow Rabbi Stephanie, who herself grew up in an interfaith family, for advice on navigating this time of year with compassion and understanding.
Wed 29

FaithFULL: The Theology of Passover and Easter (For Interfaith Couples) (National) – Online

March 29 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm CDT
Join us as we explore Passover and Easter a little deeper with Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship Alumnus Rabbi Steven Philp of Mishkan Chicago and Rev. Jason Lydon from Second Unitarian Church of Chicago. Bring the questions you've always wanted to ask about these holidays, and find out what these theological differences can mean in your interfaith home.
Thu 30

FaithFULL: The Theology of Passover and Easter (For Jewish Professionals) (National) – Online

March 30 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CDT
Join us as we explore Passover and Easter a little deeper with Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship Alumnus Rabbi Steven Philp of Mishkan Chicago and Rev. Jason Lydon from Second Unitarian Church of Chicago. This discussion is for Jewish professionals and clergy of all faiths who want to deepen their understanding of the relationship between these two holidays in order to better serve interfaith couples and families.
Thu 30

What to Do for Passover: Best Practices for Grandparents of Interfaith Families (National) – Online

March 30 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
As grandparents of interfaith families, our Passover seders and traditions may look different now than they did many years ago. Join 18Doors' Rabbi Malka Packer-Monroe and fellow grandparents of interfaith families to revisit Passover through a new lens! We'll discuss the universally accessible themes of Passover, best practices for engaging our adult children and grandchildren of different faith backgrounds, and have time to build community with other grandparents across North America.
May 16

Let’s Bayit: Homebuying and Building a Jew-ish Home – Online

May 16 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
Buying your first home is a big deal. If you're beginning to ask yourself where to start, how much money to save, or what it means to build a Jewish (including Jew-ish, Jew adjacent, interfaith and multi-faith) home, we've got the perfect program for you. Join 18Doors and a realtor from Move With Pride for a discussion aimed at helping couples navigate home-buying. (And, if you were wondering, bayit means "house" in Hebrew!)

Meet Rabbi Steven Philp – Rukin Rabbinic Fellow

Steven Philp is an Associate Rabbi at Mishkan Chicago. He was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Steven earned an M.St. in Jewish Studies from the University of Oxford and an M.Div. and M.S.W. from the University of Chicago. Steven grew up in California and Hawaii, as a Roman Catholic with a strong Protestant heritage. He became passionate about interfaith work while in college, a path that eventually led him to convert to Judaism. Steven is excited to work with 18Doors, helping others find communities that affirm their whole selves. He currently lives in Boystown with his cat Miso. Contact him at rabbistevenphilp@18doors.org.

Meet Rabbi Todd Zinn – Rukin Rabbinic Fellow

Rabbi Todd Zinn is the Director of Jewish Journeys and Enrichment at Honeymoon Israel (HMI). HMI strives to make young couples of all backgrounds feel welcome in the Jewish community and to inspire them to incorporate Jewish values and traditions into their lives in their own way through impressive community based travel to Israel. Rabbi Zinn guides the educational vision and implementation within the Honeymoon Israel community working to create dynamic educational programming, meaningful social action work, and deep relationships. Prior to his work at HMI, Rabbi Zinn served as a Rabbi at Chicago Sinai Congregation in Chicago, Illinois. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, California. Before coming to Chicago, Rabbi Zinn worked with college students at the University of Southern California, at Beit T’shuva—a residential addiction treatment facility, and in congregations throughout Southern California. Contact him at rabbitodd@18doors.org.