Downtown Outreach

We love our sanctuary in Coralville, but are also committed to bringing Jewish life into the heart of Iowa City through learning, gathering, ritual, and acts of justice. Our “Public Space Judaism” initiative has a name: Iowa City Jews. Rooted in our synagogue and open to all, it creates welcoming ways for people to connect—whether they are longtime members, new to the area, unaffiliated, or simply curious about Jewish life.

At its heart, Iowa City Jews is about meeting people where they are—creating shared experiences that make Jewish life visible, accessible, and meaningful beyond synagogue walls. Current ongoing projects of Iowa City Jews include:

• The “Big Ideas in Jewish Books” book club at Iowa City Public Library
• The Peace and Justice Seder, an interfaith event held downtown annually
• Our Urban Shavu’ot retreat, a night-long event held at a downtown location
• The Rabbi’s weekly coffee hours by appointment at Bread Garden Market

You can follow all of Iowa City Jews’ offerings on the Iowa City Jews Instagram page @iowacityjews  

Torah For Our Time

A previous signature project was the ‘Torah for our Times’ Urban Beit Midrash/Study Hall at Public Space One.