Beth Emet the Free Synagogue

I’m writing this ‘review’ for a couple reasons, especially to express my experiences with this synagogue. The person who wrote her review about their preschool program (of which she was not even able to be associated) should save her vitriol for some other forum; not a review of a synagogue itself.
What I can say about this shul is that it’s many things at once. I’ve never been a member but I had a cousin much older than me who was (until his death). What’s especially interesting about this synagogue is it has multiple avenues of prayer opportunities. Sounds like a complicated description as I try to be general, but I will give a quick but significant example. Apparently a lot of modern Chicagoland Jewish families who focus on the celebration of bar and bat mitzvot have clouded the waters for those others who wish to pray on Shabbat. When this synagogue has a bar mitzvah, for example, it holds it in the main sanctuary. Otherwise, there is typically no Saturday Shabbat morning service. Only a Friday Shabbat service. However, every Saturday, regardless of whether there is a bar or bat mitzvah, there is a downstairs, less formal but quite engaging Shabbat morning service as an «alternative». I have attended these alternative downstairs Shabbats much more frequently and enjoy them tremendously.
The fact that a synagogue is able and willing to provide such multiple approaches to meeting the needs of the community (spiritually, educationally, civilly, etc.) indicates that it’s a place that I recommend at least investigating.
As for why someone’s kid can’t get in to a good preschool, that’s another set of stories for some other place.

While I have heard great things about their preschool program, I have not had that experience myself. My son was rejected from their program. They did this without ever meeting him and after reading a report that was very dated. I have since heard that this is not atypical of the program there. If your child is not «perfect» or has any special needs, no matter how mild they are, they do not want them.