On a leafy stretch of West 70th Street on Indianapolis's north side, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck - its name rendered in Hebrew as Beit-El Tzedek, "The House of the God of Righteousness" - has gathered Conservative and Reconstructionist Jews for prayer, study, and fellowship across several generations. The synagogue is one of the few congregations in the country formally affiliated with both the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and Reconstructing Judaism, and that dual identity shapes everything from its prayer book (the Conservative movement's Siddur Lev Shalem) to the Reconstructionist sensibility of its adult programming. Members describe the community as "traditional, yet innovative," bound by the biblical motto Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof - "Justice, justice you shall pursue" (Deuteronomy 16:20) - and committed to what the synagogue calls tikkun olam, the repair of the world.
A House of Prayer, Study, and Fellowship
Beth-El Zedeck frames itself as three things at once: a House of Prayer, a House of Study, and a House of Fellowship, and the congregation takes each role seriously. Friday Evening Service begins at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday Morning Service at 10:00 a.m., both held in the modern Kaufman-Schuchman Chapel with its stained-glass windows. The larger Max and Mae Simon Sanctuary is used for High Holy Days and other gatherings that fill the room. The Max and Mae Simon Sanctuary, the chapel, the Ethel and Harry Glanzman Youth Pavilion that houses the Early Childhood Center, and the rest of the campus sit together on the synagogue's grounds at 600 W. 70th Street.
The congregation's belief statement is rooted in three Hebrew pillars - Torah (learning), Avodah (worship), and G'milut Hasadim (deeds of lovingkindness). Members affirm the unity of all humanity, cherish the Torah as both spiritual heritage and moral guide, and accept responsibility for passing that heritage to the next generation. The community honors the equal participation of women and men, affirms individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnic identity, or disability, and grounds itself in a vision of Judaism that speaks to "mind, heart, and soul." As Zionists, members commit to a free, democratic, and pluralistic State of Israel, and they celebrate what the community calls "the freedom and diversity of America."
Clergy and Spiritual Leadership
Rabbi Hal Schevitz serves as the congregation's rabbi. A Baltimore native, Rabbi Schevitz grew up at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland at College Park, and received master's degrees in Jewish Education and Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University before his ordination in 2013 at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts, a transdenominational and pluralistic seminary. He served as Assistant Rabbi at Beth-El Zedeck in his first three years out of seminary, working alongside Rabbi Dennis Sasso, then moved to Congregation Or Atid in Henrico, Virginia, where he served for six years as pastor, hazzan, educator, B'nai Mitzvah tutor, and community ambassador. When the opportunity arose to return, he brought that experience back to Indianapolis. He is married to Jena, and they are the parents of Naomi and Arielle.
Cantor Melissa Cohen has served as cantor since 2015 and previously held the title of Feigenbaum Director of Musical Arts at the synagogue from 2011 to 2015, making her the first female cantor in Beth-El Zedeck's history. A Lakewood, New Jersey native and Solomon Schechter Academy alum, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul University. She received her cantorial certification from the Cantors Assembly. Cantor Cohen is known for themed Shabbat services such as Beatles Shabbat, monthly Friday Night Live, and the Amazing Technicolor Shabbat, as well as for the Purim Shpiels she writes each year. She directs the High Holiday Choir, the Yom Kippur Martyrology Service, youth and adult choirs, and the Tefillah Lab that prepares sixth- and seventh-grade students to lead B'nei Mitzvah services. Her soprano has been heard in operas and concerts across the United States, Europe, and Israel. Cantor Cohen is married to Dr. Marc Cohen, and they are the parents of Sadie and Evan.
Dr. Dennis C. Sasso and Dr. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso serve as Senior Rabbi Emeritus and Senior Rabbi Emerita. Ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Dennis Sasso holds a Doctor of Ministry from Temple University and Christian Theological Seminary and honorary doctorates from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Christian Theological Seminary. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was the first woman ever ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, in 1974, and together they were the first rabbinical couple in Jewish history to serve a single congregation, leading Beth-El Zedeck from 1977 until 2013. The couple have received awards for interfaith and interracial work, including the NAACP Community Service Award and the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana's highest citizen honor. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is also a nationally acclaimed author of children's books, including God's Paintbrush, In God's Name, But God Remembered, Noah's Wife, and The Marvelous Mustard Seed, and directs the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Initiative at the synagogue.
Shari Lipp-Levine has served as Executive Director since 2014 and previously served as Program Director beginning in 1996. A Beth-El Zedeck alumna who grew up in the congregation, she holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Syracuse University and worked as a reporter at the Jersey Journal in Jersey City before returning to Indiana. George Kelley has been Education Director since 2002, holding degrees in Biology and Psychology from Le Moyne College and a Master of Education from Georgia College and State University; he previously chaired the Reconstructionist Educators of North America. Christie Fuller directs the Early Childhood Center, bringing degrees in Child Development from Purdue and Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue to a building she first joined in 2021. Charles Manning serves as Organist, holding Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Becky Schneider has been the Early Childhood Chef since 2004 and the synagogue's Mashgiach since 2006, overseeing kashrut in the facility. Willie Hall has been on staff since 1990 and now serves as Building Supervisor.
Shabbat, Weekday Minyan, and Healing
The weekly rhythm of the synagogue is built around Shabbat. Friday Evening Service at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday Morning Service at 10:00 a.m. are both offered in person and via livestream, and congregants who cannot be at the chapel can join remotely. Tot Shabbat, a service designed for families with newborns through five-year-olds and open to older siblings, is held several times throughout the year and centers on singing, movement, and music.
Outside of Shabbat, the synagogue maintains a daily minyan. In-person Minyan meets Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m.; Virtual Minyan gathers Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. via Zoom. Members can borrow weekday morning siddurim from the office and follow along at home.
Healing prayers, the Mi Shebeirach, are offered during Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) and during morning Minyan. Anyone may request that loved ones in need of healing be named in those prayers by submitting their names through the contact form on the synagogue's prayer page.
The Rabbi Sidney and Shirley Steiman Religious School
The congregation's K-9 program, the Rabbi Sidney and Shirley Steiman Religious School, builds year by year, blending Hebrew and Judaic learning through text, technology, music, movement, art, and individualized instruction. Education Director George Kelley and his staff aim to give students "Jewish literacy that will travel with them throughout their lives" and the Hebrew skills to function as participants in Jewish life anywhere.
The school is divided into four cohorts:
- Mechinah (K-2) introduces young students to synagogue life, prayer, Jewish culture, and history using song, story, the Godly Play technique adapted from Episcopal religious education, and Hebrew letters and basic vocabulary. Second graders take home a Shabbat box each week to share with their families.
- Kadima (3-5) prepares students for Bar and Bat Mitzvah through student-led tefillah with a weekly minute of Torah, small-group Judaics and Hebrew time, study of the early prophets and the concept of justice, Hebrew reading and writing, exploration of middot (Jewish values), a mock Jewish wedding, and visits to a Jewish mortuary to learn about mourning practices.
- Dor l'Dor (6-7) digs into the structure and meaning of synagogue services through a Tefillah Laboratory and begins the formal Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation. The cohort studies modern Jewish movements, the religions of non-Jewish neighbors, the historical roots of European anti-Semitism from the Middle Ages through the Shoah, and the modern State of Israel, with field trips woven into the curriculum.
- Confirmation Academy (8-9) treats Judaism as a living conversation. Modern Hebrew is taught through Israeli pop culture, films, and music. Students explore life and death issues such as abortion, euthanasia, medical ethics, and capital punishment from a Jewish perspective; the modern Israeli political landscape; and the meaning of concepts like God, Torah, and Israel. The Confirmation year concludes with a trip to New York City led by the rabbi, visiting expressions of modern Jewish life, the history of Jewish immigration, and deepening the bonds among classmates.
The Religious School staff includes Judaics and Hebrew specialists for each grade, plus Dina David-Smith as Hebrew Coordinator, Jeff Barranco as Support Staff, Bob Schneider as Music Specialist, and Rabbi Hal Schevitz and Alvin Katzman as Confirmation Teachers. Cantor Melissa Cohen leads the T'fillah Lab for grades 6 and 7, and Tracy Mishkin serves as a Judaics and Hebrew Teacher and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Instructor for sixth grade.
Bar and Bat Mitzvah Preparation
Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Beth-El Zedeck is described as "one of the most meaningful lifecycle events for our families." Students study for years in Religious School and then continue with private lessons from Cantor Cohen and a Trope Instructor in the year before their simcha. They learn their parashah, the accompanying blessings, and how to lead both Erev Shabbat and Shaharit services. To support that preparation, Cantor Cohen has built an extensive set of online resources: downloadable PDFs of the prayers, audio recordings for every aliyah and haftarah portion, and even downloadable zip files families can use to create their own "pray list." Separate resources cover the Torah and Haftarah blessings and the special aliyah readings for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The Muma and Grandpa Early Childhood Center
In the Ethel and Harry Glanzman Youth Pavilion on the synagogue grounds, the Muma and Grandpa Beth-El Zedeck Early Childhood Center serves children from three months through pre-kindergarten in a play-based, child-centered environment. Director Christie Fuller leads a program built around music, Shabbat celebration, playtime, outdoor adventure, swimming, art, exploration, and cooperation. Mornings begin at 8:50 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:00 p.m., with Early Care available from 7:30 a.m. and After Care running until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
The ECC divides its students by age and offers full-time and part-time schedules:
- Infants (3 months and older) receive nurturing, personalized care with feeding, soothing, and sensory activities.
- Toddlers (12-18 months) explore language, motor skills, and social interaction through guided play.
- Twos build language, motor, and social skills through hands-on activities; children do not need to be toilet trained.
- Fours, Fives, and pre-K (4-6 years) prepare for kindergarten with literacy, math, and social foundations; children in this cohort must be toilet trained.
Tuition is published annually and members of Beth-El Zedeck receive a 20% discount, with a 10% sibling discount on the second child. Wednesday is the weekly meat day, and meals and snacks - morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and an additional snack during After Care - are included at no extra charge. The summer program, the Manuel and Diana Leve Summer Camp, runs weekly themed sessions from early June through late July with topics such as Nature Explorers, Under the Sea, In the Garden, Forest Friends, Beach Days, On the Farm, and Up in the Sky.
The Alan and Linda Cohen Center for Jewish Learning and Living
Adults at Beth-El Zedeck learn alongside clergy and guest instructors through the Alan and Linda Cohen Center for Jewish Learning and Living, the congregation's adult and family education program. Offerings include Hebrew language courses, Judaism 101 (a ten-session Zoom refresher on Jewish history, life cycle, calendar, and views of God), and the Feigenbaum Adult B'nei Mitzvah cohort for members who missed or want to reclaim that milestone, including those who have converted to Judaism.
For those considering conversion, the First Steps program offers study and conversation with the rabbi and cantor for interfaith couples, non-Jews seeking to understand Jewish culture and faith, and anyone considering conversion. Cocktail Judaism, hosted by Rabbi Schevitz on the first Monday of most months, mixes drinks and conversation with humor and guest speakers. Torah on Tap brings together millennial and Gen Z professionals for outings across the city, from bowling to distillery visits.
The Alpert-Solotken Library and the Illene K. and Michael B. Maurer Children's Library, overseen by Librarian Mickki Ashworth, provide a friendly atmosphere for readers of all ages with collections of nonfiction, biography, fiction, and Jewish-interest picture books. Mickki is usually present on Sunday mornings when Religious School is in session and on Thursdays during the day.
High Holy Days at Beth-El Zedeck
The High Holy Day season opens with Selihot, observed jointly with the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation at IHC on the north side of Indianapolis: a film screening followed by the Selihot service. The Days of Awe bring Erev Rosh Hashanah, two full days of Rosh Hashanah services with Youth Services for children and a Tashlikh outing with an ice cream truck, Kol Nidre in the evening, and Yom Kippur with morning service including Yizkor and the Martyrology, Youth Services, a Family Service, an Afternoon Service and Conversation, and the climactic Neilah service before the break-fast. Tickets are required for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; Youth Services are offered at no cost. The cantor posts recordings of Torah and Haftarah readings, along with audio of the previous year's High Holy Day sermons, so congregants can prepare at home.
Life Cycle: From Baby Naming to Yahrzeit
Beth-El Zedeck marks the major moments of Jewish life. Baby Namings typically take place at Friday evening Shabbat services, and Brit Milah is observed on the eighth day after birth; both are arranged through the synagogue office. Couples preparing for marriage meet with the rabbi for a series of premarital sessions that include Jewish wedding traditions and personal counseling, and may come to the synagogue on the Shabbat before the wedding for an Aufruf - a special aliyah and blessing - even when the ceremony takes place out of town.
The synagogue maintains two cemeteries. Memorial Park, on the north side of Indianapolis at 9938 Eller Road in Fishers, sits just west of Oaklawn Cemetery. Kelly Street Cemetery, just south of downtown Indianapolis on the city's south side, is reached by way of Meridian Street and Kelly Street south of Raymond Street. Plots for both cemeteries are arranged through Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Mortuary. The clergy attend unveilings each spring and fall, and yahrzeit plaques are available in the Arline and Fred Simon Atrium of Remembrance at a cost of $650 per plaque, with colored stones affixed to mark the yahrzeit and each yizkor throughout the year. The office tracks yahrzeits for members as part of their synagogue membership and mails reminders a month in advance based on the Hebrew date of death.
Conversion at Beth-El Zedeck begins with the First Steps program, continues through adult education classes and conversation with the rabbis, and includes attendance at services and participation in synagogue life.
Sisterhood, Men's Club, and Foundation
Three supporting arms sustain the congregation. The Sisterhood - affiliated with the Central Great Lakes Region of Women's League for Conservative Judaism - promotes the welfare of the congregation, enriches family, educational, and civic life, supports the Religious School, and runs the Mitzvah Corps, a volunteer group that visits the ill and homebound. Sisterhood members participate actively in Shabbat and Minyan services, chanting Torah and assisting in leading prayers; they also play Mahj, study Torah, support the Torah Fund, organize a Tu BiSh'vat Seder, welcome new members, send care packages to college students, and operate the Maurer-Mishkin-Ornstein Gallery of Judaica.
The Men's Club sponsors educational, religious, and family programming, supports Bar and Bat Mitzvah gifts and the Confirmation award, and famously provides orange juice at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.
The Beth-El Zedeck Foundation, established as a separate legal entity by the Board of Directors, anchors the long-term financial strength of the congregation. With a minimum annual contribution of 5%, the Foundation has funded roof repairs, heating and air-conditioning work, painting, carpeting, a walk-in freezer for the kitchen, the congregation's first computer system in 1986, a major technology upgrade in 2010, the Roots and Wings building expansion, and the search for Assistant Rabbis in 2013 and 2016. Foundation pledges are recognized on the Tree of Life in the Kraft Family Sanctuary Lobby, from Small Silver Leaf ($1,000-$2,499) up to Foundation Stone ($100,000 and above), and are typically payable over five years. The Dor l'Dor Legacy Society recognizes members who have included Beth-El Zedeck in their estate plans; the synagogue is one of fourteen central Indiana Jewish organizations participating in the LIFE & LEGACY program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Social Action and Tikkun Olam
Social action is woven into the congregation's year-round identity. For more than thirty years, Beth-El Zedeck members have cooked and served a full turkey dinner at the Cathedral Soup Kitchen on Christmas Day, allowing the regular staff to spend the holiday with their families. Volunteers prepare dishes such as turkey, mashed potatoes, and dessert in advance, and a dedicated donation form on the synagogue's website supports the program.
Each year, the congregation partners with Habitat for Humanity on its interfaith build, joining people of different faiths to construct affordable housing. Mitzvah Meals (formerly Kosher-to-Go) delivers meals on Mondays and Wednesdays to homebound members of the Jewish community, made possible through the Sidney Maurer Memorial Fund to Feed the Hungry. The congregation celebrates Pride and stands with the LGBTQ+ community, participates in the JCC's Earth Day celebration with a sustainability-themed table, and organizes Reverse Tashlich, in which Religious School students collect trash from a local park to reverse the symbolism of the Rosh Hashanah tradition.
Membership, Dues, and Giving
The congregation operates on a Fair Share dues structure, with dues set individually by the Dues and Assessments Committee based on a family's income. Junior membership is available for those under 28. Membership unlocks significant discounts at the Early Childhood Center, member-rate tickets for the High Holy Days, the right to enroll children in the Religious School, and full participation in the congregation's communal life.
Beyond dues, the synagogue offers an extensive menu of designated funds, including the Sam Smulyan Memorial Lectureship and Cultural Arts Fund, the Alan and Linda Cohen Center for Jewish Learning and Living Fund, the Alpert-Solotken Adult Library Fund, the Michael B. and Illene K. Maurer Youth Library Fund, the Maurice and Lillian Horwitz Book Fund, Uncle Davy's Cabin and Campground Fund, the Judaism and Civic Engagement Fund, the Living Torah Chai Fund, the Beautification Fund, the Barry Brodey Memorial S.K.I.P. (Send a Kid to Israel Program) Fund, several Confirmation and youth scholarship funds, the Sidney Maurer Memorial Feed the Hungry Fund, the Sisterhood Discretionary and Remembrance Funds, the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, the Cantor's Discretionary Fund, and the Beth-El Zedeck Foundation. Many have minimum donations of $10, $15, $18, or $25. Donations can be made online through the synagogue's donation form, which also allows members to send a card in honor or in memory of someone and to specify a yahrzeit remembrance.
Planning a Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Beth-El Zedeck. To ensure the synagogue can greet a group properly, the visiting group form on the website lets schools, colleges, and other organizations reserve a Friday evening or Saturday morning service. Individuals and families can call (317) 253-3441 or use the Contact Us form on the website to request a meeting with clergy or staff. Services are livestreamed for those unable to attend in person, and healing prayer requests can be submitted through the same online form. The congregation's administrative offices are open during the week, the library welcomes visitors on Sunday mornings and Thursdays, and the Beth-El Zedeck Gallery of Judaica operates through the Sisterhood for those interested in Jewish ceremonial art.