History 1903-1913

Many Jewish immigrants flocked to the new Chicago Hebrew Institute seeking acculturation opportunities and a social gathering place, programs and services also expanded to accommodate the needs of this population.

Eventually, Chicago Hebrew Institute outgrew its four-story building on Blue Island Avenue. Jewish philanthropists saw how the community relied on the Chicago Hebrew Institute as its only source for educational, cultural, social and recreational opportunities.

In 1907, Chicago Hebrew Institute’s President, Nathan Kaplan asked philanthropist Julius Rosenwald for his support in purchasing a larger facility for Chicago Hebrew Institute. Rosenwald made a generous contribution, and in 1908 the Institute moved to a larger property at Taylor and Lytle Streets in Chicago.

The new 20-acre facility at Taylor and Lytle Streets offered the Jewish community a wider array than ever of year-round educational, cultural and social programs for all ages. When a fire destroyed the entire main building of the Chicago Hebrew Institute in 1910, lay leaders and local philanthropists promised the Institute’s members that programs would continue regardless of space issues, and that they would rebuild immediately.

By 1912, the main building of the Chicago Hebrew Institute was rebuilt. Services and programs continued to grow, and by 1913, over 280,000 men, women and children participated in the Institute’s offerings.

In 1913, the Chicago Hebrew Institute appointed Philip Seman as General Director, a position he held with national distinction for the next 32 years. Under Seman’s leadership, the Institute grew significantly and its many achievements placed it securely in the front ranks of social service agencies.

In 1911, a group of women banded together to form the Women’s Auxiliary to assist in the establishment in a more permanent Chicago Hebrew Institute. The Women’s Auxiliary played a vital role in supporting and financing experimental projects and providing services which the existing budget did not offer.