About Us

At the heart of downtown Chicago, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life has been a beacon of warmth, learning, and community for decades. Each year, the Sukkah Project brings that spirit into the open, erecting a traditional Sukkah on the city streets and transforming it into a living art gallery featuring original works by Jewish artists from around the world. The Sukkah Project reflects our commitment to tradition, creativity, and connection, celebrating the joy of Sukkot while blossoming with art, inspiration, and the energy of our vibrant community.

Led by Rabbi Meir Chai and Mrs. Rivka Benhiyoun, emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to downtown Chicago since 1987, Chabad Center for Jewish Life has been a beacon of warmth, learning, and community for decades. Our locations in the Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, and South Loop, create inclusive, welcoming spaces for people of every background, affiliation, and level of observance, and are dedicated to awakening Jewish life from within.

Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, is a leader whose vision reached into the deepest wounds and quietest hopes of his time. In the aftermath of World War II, he rekindled hope by affirming the infinite dignity and sacred purpose of every person, and by calling on each of us to awaken to our shared power to heal, illuminate, and transform the world through goodness. From 1950 onward, this vision sparked a global renaissance of learning, compassion, joyful Jewish life, and personal responsibility. It awakened millions to the truth that no one is ever insignificant, and that even the smallest act of goodness can ripple outward, transforming a life, and ultimately, the world.