Congregation Or Torah

What Congregation Or Torah does

Congregation Or Torah is a private, non-profit Modern Orthodox synagogue located at 3800 Dempster Street in Skokie, Illinois, serving Jewish families and individuals in the greater Skokie and Chicago Midwest area. It self-identifies as one of the largest Modern Orthodox synagogues in the Midwest and is led by Rabbi Zvi Engel. The congregation offers a multi-layered program portfolio including daily prayer services, Shabbat and holiday programming, a Youth Department with Shabbat Groups and Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, women's groups, a Tehillim group, the Or Torah Israel Initiative, the Ark Basket Program, OT Bashert (community matchmaking), Scholar-in-Residence weekends, and virtual Torah learning. Its mission centers on spiritual growth, Jewish education, communal connection, support for Israel, and family-centered religious experience.

The organization's technology infrastructure is built entirely on ShulCloud, a third-party content management system purpose-built for synagogues that powers the website, member management, event calendars, donation processing, communications, and the iOS/Android mobile applications. Google sign-in is the only disclosed third-party integration. The congregation generates revenue through four streams: recurring membership dues, donations across multiple designated funds (general, yahrzeit plaques, kiddush fund, Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, Yom Kippur Appeal, Building Campaign, Israel Emergency, Maot Chitim, Matanot L'evyonim), program-specific contributions, and tiered Virtual Learning Sponsorship ($100 / $180 / $360). There is no public revenue disclosure, no funding history, no M&A activity, and no external ownership; the entity is independently member-supported under rabbinical leadership.

Name

Congregation Or Torah

Legal name

Congregation Or Torah

Website

https://ortorah.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Congregation Or Torah is a private non-profit Modern Orthodox synagogue in Skokie, Illinois, led by Rabbi Zvi Engel and serving Jewish families in the greater Chicago Midwest area with religious services, youth and adult programming, and community initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Synagogue Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Jewish education
• Synagogue membership
• Community programming
• Virtual learning sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for families and individuals to participate in congregation services, programs, and community activities.
2. Donations: The synagogue accepts various types of donations including general donations, memorial donations, yahrzeit plaques, kiddush fund, Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, and special appeals such as Yom Kippur Appeal and Building Campaign.
3. Virtual Learning Sponsorship: Tiered sponsorship program where supporters can sponsor Torah learning sessions: Single Shiur ($100), Day of Learning ($180), or Full Week of Shiurim ($360).
4. Program-specific Donations: Various designated funds including Israel Emergency, Maot Chitim (Pesach assistance), Matanot L'evyonim (Purim gifts), Yom Haatzmaut Security Project, Chesed Yibaneh, and Youth Department contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Congregation Or Torah is a Modern Orthodox synagogue that provides daily and Shabbat prayer services, Jewish educational and learning programs, youth and family programming, women's groups, and Israel advocacy initiatives to its member families and the broader Jewish community in the greater Skokie, Illinois area. Beyond in-person religious and community services, it offers digital member engagement through its website, mobile app, online donation platform, and a tiered virtual Torah learning sponsorship program accessible to remote supporters.

Product overview

Congregation Or Torah operates as a Modern Orthodox synagogue offering religious services, educational programs, and community activities. The congregation's technology infrastructure is built on ShulCloud's proprietary content management system, which provides the core digital platform for member services. The congregation offers a mobile app for iOS and Android, an online donations platform for various funds and appeals, and a virtual learning sponsorship program. These digital services work together to support the congregation's mission of providing spiritual growth, Jewish education, and communal activities for its members in the Skokie area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Congregation Or Torah Mobile App Branded mobile application for iOS and Android that allows congregation members to access services, events, calendars, and synagogue resources on their mobile devices.
• Online Donations Platform Web-based donation system that allows members and visitors to make one-time or recurring contributions to general funds, the building fund, kiddush fund, yahrzeit memorial plaques, Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, and special appeals such as the Yom Kippur Appeal.
• Virtual Learning Sponsorship Tiered sponsorship program enabling members and remote supporters to sponsor Torah learning sessions, with levels including a Single Shiur ($100), Ner LaMaor Day of Learning ($180), and Full Week of Shiurim ($360).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ShulCloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationShulCloud provides the proprietary content management system (ShulCloud) powering Congregation Or Torah's website. This platform enables member management, event calendars, donation processing, and online communications. The relationship is vendor-customer with ShulCloud as the service provider.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• North Shore Congregation Israel: Large Jewish congregation also located in the Skokie/North Shore area. Comparable in scale and community footprint though denomination (Reform) differs; serves as a regional benchmark for membership size and programming breadth.

Direct peers

• Congregation KINS (Kehillat Israel Newberger): Modern Orthodox congregation in the Chicago metro with comparable youth, adult education, and community programming. Directly comparable in denomination and operating model.
• Congregation Anshe Sholom: Modern Orthodox congregation in the Chicago area offering comparable services, education programs, and lifecycle events. Closely comparable in denomination, programming mix, and member-base profile.
• Beth Sholom B'nai Israel: Established Jewish congregation in a similar Mid-Atlantic/regional context offering comparable religious services, education, and lifecycle programming. Comparable in operating model even where denomination differs.
• Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue: A Modern Orthodox synagogue in Skokie, Illinois serving a similar catchment and demographic. Comparable congregation size, denomination, and community programming model make it the most direct local peer.
• Congregation Etz Chaim: Modern Orthodox synagogue in greater Chicago offering services, education, and lifecycle programming. Comparable scale and operational structure for a like-for-like benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• Hebrew Theological College: Orthodox educational institution in the Chicago area offering rabbinical training and community programming. Comparable as a broader Modern Orthodox anchor in the same geography, though its core mission is educational rather than congregational.
• Jewish United Fund / JCC Chicago: Regional Jewish community organization serving the same Chicago-area population with programming, education, and community services. Operates at a broader scale than a single congregation but competes for member time and donations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congregation-or-torah

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Congregation Or Torah