Beth Shalom’s Mastermind of Events

OUR COMMUNITY

VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK

Community members and congregants spend time at Chanu-Con, a community-wide Chanukah festival at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Beth Shalom’s Mastermind of Events

Beth Rodgers brings the community together through events.

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Beth Rodgers wears many hats at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park as its vice president and chair of the programming committee. Rabbi Robert Gamer nominated her as Volunteer of the Week because he wanted to shed light on what Rodgers brings to the congregation.

“She continues to bring exceptional programs to Beth Shalom as well as the larger community,” Gamer said. “Café Shalom brings musical talents on an annual basis. Chanu-Con has attracted thousands of visitors over the few years it’s been running. Beth is also integral in planning other major and minor events for the congregation.”

Rodgers and her husband, David, joined Beth Shalom in 2013 after attending a few events, such as cooking classes and the shul’s annual Café Shalom event. The first time they attended Shabbos services, Rodgers says they immediately felt the feeling of family and community.

Shortly after joining Beth Shalom, Rodgers became active in the shul as a board member and later took on the volunteer position as chair of the programming committee.

“I wanted to continue to bring awesome and cool events to the congregation,” the Oak Park resident said. “I started to think of things that would be worthwhile and exciting for more than just the people who belonged to the shul.”

The mother of three boys said inspiration struck in 2016 when her eldest son, Evan, who was 3 years old at the time, struggled to pronounce the word Chanukah and said “Happy Chanu-Con” instead.

“My husband said we should have ChanuCon at the shul, which sounds like Comic Con but for Chanukah,” Rodgers added.

The ideas started flowing for the festival and Rodgers quickly began gathering vendors, raffle prizes from local businesses, food and children’s activities in a short three months, which she said almost seemed unreachable at the time.

“I started calling every place I could think of,” Rodgers said. “That first year, we got 400 people who came out, and we had a full room of vendors, children’s activities and everything worked out really great!”

Beth Shalom is now going into its seventh annual Chanu-Con festival where Rodgers says everyone is welcome.

“I do it because I want the shul to succeed. I want Beth Shalom to thrive,” she said. For the last two years, the festival has been virtual, and Rodgers hopes they can be back in person this year. “Even though it’s based at Beth Shalom, it’s a nice way to bring the community together.”

Rodgers turned her passion for the event into a children’s book. “I write young adult novels, and I’ve always wanted to write a children’s picture book,” she said.

Rodgers is a freelance editor and worked together on the book with fellow board member Howard Fridson. “He illustrated it, and I wrote all the rhymes for the pages for the book titled Welcome to Chanu-Con.”

Rodgers says it is important to be proud and to not hide from your Jewish heritage. “No matter how old or young or in between you are, it’s important to take on a role in your community. Because the more we can do that, the more we show our pride, resilience and our strength.”

Beth Rodgers makes announcements at a Beth Shalom Got Talent event.

Beth and David Rodgers with their sons Jared, 6, Evan, 8, and Noah, 3, celebrate Purim in March.

For information about Beth Shalom or to get involved, email BethShalomProgramming@gmail.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be the next Volunteer of the Week, send a nomination with a short paragraph telling us why to socialmedia@thejewishnews.com.