Solu
Members of Bright Star Community Outreach and Skokie Valley Synagogue meet in Bronzeville to learn about each other and discuss a vision for the future.
Building bridges towards peace and understanding
Orthodox Judaism is known for its strong commitments to Jewish law and traditions, and for its tight and supportive community. A new program in Chicago, called Solu, is looking to add another aspect to what it means to be Orthodox: building bridges across diverse communities and serving those in need, whoever and wherever they may be.
Founded by Rabbi Ari Hart, Solu aims to create a communal infrastructure to build bridges between the Jewish community and other communities in Chicago and make paths for Orthodox Jews to get involved in making a positive impact on the world around them.
Derived from the Yom Kippur Haftorah, the word Solu means to “pave a road,” or “make a way.” The challenge, according to Rabbi Hart, is to clear the obstacles that stand between people and their moral and spiritual potential. As Hart explained, “Each Yom Kippur we read the prophet’s words, reminding us that our ritual observance is an affront to God if we are not also helping the poor, homeless, and oppressed around us.”
“We live in an area that is incredibly diverse, yet also siloed and segregated,” said Hart. “Many in the Jewish community in Chicago came from neighborhoods that are now ravaged by poverty and racism, COVID-19, and gun violence on the South and West Sides. The Rohingya community, an immigrant Muslim community who has experienced genocide not unfamiliar to the Jewish community lives just blocks from the Jewish community in Rogers Park. These are just a few examples of the common threads between our diverse communities that we have not yet woven together.”
So far, Solu's efforts have included providing meals to homeless shelters, building a family literacy center together with Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star Community Outreach on Chicago's South Side, and partnering with the Rohingya Community Center to share stories of trauma and resilience while beautifying their neighborhood.
Avidan Halivni, Solu program manager, leads camp Moshava to make provisions for the homeless.
“It was amazing to see over 300 Orthodox Jews serve 150 meals at homeless shelters in Chicago and Iowa, assemble 200 backpacks for a back-to-school drive for refugee youth, build a Literacy Center with our partners at Bright Star Community Outreach, and so much more,” said Solu program manager, Avidan Halivni.
Solu aims to build long-term relationships, educate the Jewish community, positively impact those in need, and leave a legacy of Jewish response to the great moral challenges in our time. “The Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago has long suffered from a lack of communal infrastructure to support bridge building with other communities,” said Hart. “The community in Chicago has no organized way to step out of its silos and engage with the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed beyond our communal walls.”
Rabbi Ari Hart convenes with members of the Rohingya Community Center.
Rabbi Hart's background in activism serves the Solu project well. He is a rabbi of a 300-family synagogue in Skokie that is welcoming and inclusive to a diverse membership. Hart has led multiple advocacy efforts to increase awareness of justice issues in the Orthodox community, including advocating for immigrant workers in the kosher industry and fighting for victims of sexual abuse. For Hart, Solu combines Jewish worship with chesed--outreach to others. “Through Solu we hope to bridge the gap between ritual and ethics and make it possible for all to live out our highest calling as Jews,” said Hart.
Learn more about Rabbi Hart’s commitment to Solu:
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