Congregation Etz Chaim of DuPage County is the only Reform synagogue in Chicago’s western suburbs, a welcoming home for more than 500 families since 1960.
Back in 1960, we were known as “Tree Towns Congregation,” and located in Elmhurst. Eight local families took the initiative to start the Congregation and over the years, those eight families grew to more than 500! In 1970, the Congregation was renamed Etz Chaim (Tree of Life), and we hired our first full-time rabbi in 1972. The next year we moved to our current location in Lombard.
In 1981, we hired our fourth full-time rabbi, Rabbi Steven Bob, who stayed with us for 35 years before retiring and becoming Rabbi Emeritus. In the ensuing years, we hired our Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky (2005), and, more recently, our Associate Rabbi, Rabbi Jessica Wainer (2021).
As our spiritual community grew, so did our religious school. We added classrooms, a social hall, and kitchen facilities. We also hired Anne Stein to become our religious school principal, and, after she retired in 2015, we welcomed Marla Friedman to the staff. She served in that position until 2022, after which we hired Marla Aviva Bentley (2022) as the Director of Lifelong Learning.
We’re constantly growing and changing, but at our core, the community will always come first.
Please enjoy “CEC A Living History” to hear from one of our founding families. ↓
We welcome, nurture, and inspire the Jewish community and their guests in the western Chicago suburbs. We value compassion, learning, volunteerism, and Tikkun Olam, repairing the world.
We have a tradition of an inclusive community that welcomes everyone, Jews by birth, Jews by choice, non-Jewish family members, singles, LGBTQIA+, and people of all ages and abilities. We are a caring community that draws strength from honoring and respecting the diversity of our membership.
Jewish learning at the center of everything we do, from Religious School through adult Torah Study every Saturday morning.
ne-dab, to offer freely. Our 16 committees, Executive Board, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and hundreds of volunteers are the backbone of CEC.
Every person is seen, heard, and valued. From 67+ cities across 96 zip codes, our congregation is your extended family.
Repairing the world, through social action, environmental stewardship, interfaith outreach, and support of those in need.
B’tzelem Elohim, all are created in the image of God. We actively work to remove barriers and ensure full participation for everyone.
Respect, process, and excellence in everything we do, from our award-winning education programs to our thoughtfully crafted worship experiences.
