Landmarks Illinois provides emergency grant funds to the Chicago Loop Synagogue for urgent repairs
A Preservation Heritage Grant will help the congregation install a new boiler at the largest synagogue in Chicago’s Loop
Chicago, Feb. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Landmarks Illinois has awarded an emergency grant to the Chicago Loop Synagogue through the Preservation Heritage Fund. The $5,000 grant will help the synagogue replace a broken boiler, allowing the congregation to continue providing daily religious services and community cultural programs.
Located at 16. S. Clark St., the Chicago Loop Synagogue was founded in 1929 to provide a space for Jewish professionals working downtown. Its current home was designed by architects Loebl, Schlossman and Bennet and completed in 1958. It is the largest synagogue in the downtown area, and its eye-catching design has made it a popular stop for architecture enthusiasts. Among its notable features is the Abraham Rattner-designed stained glass windows on the front façade.
Representatives from Chicago Loop Synagogue reached out to Landmarks Illinois in January to request emergency funding to fix the boiler. Applications for Preservation Heritage Fund grants are typically reviewed in April and October, but urgent funding needs are assessed year-round.
“Landmarks Illinois’ grant programs aim to be responsive and accessible to the people saving our vulnerable historic places,” said Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald. “We are proud to be able to respond quickly to Chicago Loop Synagogue’s request for monetary assistance for its broken boiler. Like many of our grants, we hope this one will provide the congregation with critical seed funding to raise the money needed to maintain and preserve this iconic and culturally significant Loop landmark.”
Chicago Loop Synagogue plans to launch a capital fundraising campaign to support the boiler replacement and other necessary repairs to the building. To learn more about fundraising efforts, visit www.chiloopsyn.org.
“We are firmly committed to providing services in downtown Chicago,” said President of Chicago Loop Synagogue Lee Zoldan. “We have been in this location for 65 years, and we have seen many neighboring businesses come and go. As an anchor of the downtown Chicago community, we believe it is our responsibility to keep our doors open and our heat on, so people have a reliable and comfortable way to engage with their faith. We are very grateful to Landmarks Illinois and the Preservation Heritage Fund for their support of our very important mission.”
Previous Preservation Heritage Fund emergency grants include one in March 2023 to Greater Union Baptist Church on Chicago’s Near West Side for the stabilization of a chimney, and one in January 2019 to the Stran-Steel House in Wilmette to help facilitate the dismantling of the unique home dating back to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.
More about the Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program
Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grants provide monetary assistance to significant structures or sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation or need to be evaluated for landmark eligibility.
Applications for the next round of funding through the Preservation Heritage Fund are due April 1, 2026. Applications for the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois are also due April 1. Visit our website to learn more.
About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization founded in 1971. Our mission is to accelerate the preservation and reuse of significant places statewide to foster healthy, livable and thriving communities. Through advocacy, funding, technical expertise and public engagement, we position preservation as an accessible, equitable and effective tool to support strategic, community-driven revitalization. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.
Attachments
Kaitlyn McAvoy Landmarks Illinois 312-995-9679 kmcavoy@landmarks.org
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