Temple Sholom of Chicago

08/31/2026

☀️ What a way to send off summer!

More than 70 people of all ages gathered for Women of Temple Sholom’s Summer Send-Off Open House, filling our Social Hall with games, delicious food and drinks, a joyful sing-along with Cantor Ben-David, and plenty of laughter and connection. 💙

The fun also had a meaningful purpose. Raffle proceeds supported The Ark, and attendees donated much-needed feminine hygiene products, which cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of community, generosity, and fun. We can’t wait for all that WTS has planned for the year ahead! ✨

08/24/2026

💙 Welcome back, Temple Sholom!

Last Friday, we kicked off a new year of community at our Welcome Back Shabbat Experience, and what an incredible evening it was! We loved seeing so many familiar faces, welcoming new members into our community, and meeting those experiencing Temple Sholom for the very first time.

From a thrilling trivia competition to delicious food, meaningful Shabbat moments, and plenty of time to connect, it was a joyful way to come back together after the summer.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening so special. Here’s to a year filled with connection, friendship, Jewish life, and many more moments together! ✨

08/17/2026

This campaign is about helping Matt find a kidney.

It's about helping a husband spend more years with his wife.

Helping a father be present for school events, family vacations, and ordinary moments that become lifelong memories.

It's about giving someone more time, more energy, and more opportunities to show up for the people they love.

But it's also about something bigger.

It's about creating awareness of living kidney donation and encouraging more people to learn what is possible. Every year, thousands of families face the same reality Matt faces today. Many are waiting for a transplant that could dramatically change their lives.

When more people understand how living donation works, who can qualify, and the protections available to donors, more lives can be changed.

Not everyone who visits this page will become a donor. That's okay.

One person may decide to take the questionnaire.

Another may share Matt's story.

Someone else may learn about living donation for the very first time.

All of those actions matter.

The more people who understand living donation, the more families can stay together, the more parents can be present for their children, and the more lives can be changed.

Please help us spread the word.

❤️ Share this post and visit HelpMattFindAKidney.com to learn more.

08/14/2026

🌵 What are you bringing with you into the new year?

What do a blooming cactus, Jewish summer camp, and the month of Elul have in common?

In this special Rosh Chodesh Elul episode of Beyond the Bimah, Rabbi Conover and Rabbi Antman reflect on the experiences that shaped their summers and what those moments can teach us as we begin the spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6rXeiJiv4abypru75lNQfz?si=H2cgmGVHSG2wdXp--nK63g

08/12/2026

Many people support organ donation.

Far fewer realize how many protections exist for living kidney donors.

✓ Surgery costs are covered
✓ Testing is covered
✓ Travel is covered
✓ Lost wages are covered
✓ Follow-up care is covered

Many donors are also surprised to learn that blood type mismatches don't necessarily prevent someone from helping.
Through paired kidney exchange programs, a donor who isn't compatible with Matt may still be able to help him receive a kidney by starting a donation chain.

And through the National Kidney Registry's voucher program, donors can designate family members who would receive priority access to a kidney transplant if they ever need one in the future. You can even save these vouchers for the future to list any future children or grandchildren.

Helping Matt today could help protect the people you love tomorrow.

The only way to know whether you might qualify is to ask.

❤️ Learn more at HelpMattFindAKidney.com

08/07/2026

Matt opens up about what it actually feels like to live with kidney disease — not the obvious symptoms, but the invisible ones. Low energy. Strict diet. 32 ounces of fluid a day. And the hardest part: knowing he can't always be fully present for the people who need him most. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVEb7ezjhIU

If you want to help Matt find a living kidney donor, the first step is a short, anonymous health questionnaire. You can back out at any time — including the morning of surgery.

📋 More info: www.HelpMattFindAKidney.com
🔗 Take the anonymous questionnaire: nmlivingdonor.org
📤 Please share — spreading the word is one of the most powerful things you can do.

Matt opens up about what it actually feels like to live with kidney...

08/05/2026

The biggest obstacle to living kidney donation is not medical.
It's that most people assume they aren't eligible before ever asking the question.

Here are a few things most people don't know:

❌ "I'm not young enough."
✅ Eligibility is broader than most people realize. Age and minor health conditions do not automatically disqualify you. Donors can be in their 70’s and still qualify.

❌ "What if I need my kidney someday?"
✅ Through the National Kidney Registry, donors can protect family members by providing priority transplant access if a loved one ever needs a kidney in the future.

❌ "I don't want Matt to know I looked into it."
✅ The process is completely anonymous. Matt will never know you completed the questionnaire, attended appointments, or even explored donation unless you choose to tell him.

❌ "Once I start, I'm committed."
✅ You can withdraw at any point, for any reason, including the morning of surgery.
The first step is simply learning more.

A short, free, anonymous questionnaire can tell you whether donation might be worth exploring.

Don't rule yourself out before you ask the question.

❤️ Learn more at HelpMattFindAKidney.com

07/30/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J22ZW3T1cUw

Matt Dicker is a husband, father of two, and Chicago resident who has been living with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) his whole life. In this first video, he shares who he is, when he first learned he was at risk for kidney failure as a child, and what led him to start dialysis in his late thirties.

Matt is actively searching for a living kidney donor. If you'd like to see if you might be a match, the process is completely anonymous — Matt will never know you looked into it unless you tell him.

🔗 Take the anonymous questionnaire: nmlivingdonor.org
📋 Learn more about Matt's story: www.HelpMattFindAKidney.com

Can't donate? Please share this video — it could reach the person who saves his life.

Matt Dicker is a husband, father of two, and Chicago resident who h...

07/27/2026

Matt Dicker is a husband, father of two, and Chicago resident who has been living with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) his whole life. In this first video, he shares who he is, when he first learned he was at risk for kidney failure as a child, and what led him to start dialysis in his late thirties.

Matt is actively searching for a living kidney donor. If you'd like to see if you might be a match, the process is completely anonymous — Matt will never know you looked into it unless you tell him.

🔗 Take the anonymous questionnaire: nmlivingdonor.org
📋 Learn more about Matt's story: www.HelpMattFindAKidney.com