Mercaz means Center in Hebrew.
Center evokes a gathering place; it also evokes the feeling of being centered or grounded. Mercaz invites you to pause and consider how we could live more intentionally, with others who are searching for the same answers to some of life’s biggest questions.
Everything in Judaism was designed to help us find meaning and purpose in our life, but it can be difficult to see the ways in which Judaism can provide such a framework within the context of modern, secular society. Mercaz is a portal where religious, committed, and ambivalent Jews, as well as fellow travelers, come together and make sense of the wisdom and technologies that have grown out of Judaism, which we believe is our tradition’s enduring gift. Mercaz provides a different access point to Judaism centered around meaning, not around ritual practices or the traditional synagogue membership model. Mercaz is here to offer implementable ideas that you can incorporate into your life.
Meet the Team
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Founder
Rabbi Minkus is many things: he is a father and a husband, a rabbi, a creator of community, and a believer in the power of stories.
David (he insists on being called David) believes in, above all else, being sincere and genuine. David does not believe in good Jews or bad Jews. He believes in empathy, sharing food together, listening to each other, and giving voice to ideas that may or may not have been welcomed in the past.
David sees his role not as a symbolic exemplar, not a scholar, but as a director, a catalyst in helping individuals find their voice in the tradition; the rabbi should not play the lead role. David has been leading Congregation Rodfei Zedek since 2014.
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Director of Marketing and EventsHannah entered the Jewish professional world in 2021 as the Director of Visioning and Engagement at Congregation Rodfei Zedek. Prior to this role, she was a Community Strategist and account manager at a PR and Marketing firm specializing in full-suite services for hospitality businesses in Chicago. Hannah’s passion is building community, and creating meaningful experiences that create lasting change - whether that’s through a short video posted to Instagram, or an in-person event. Hannah feels most fulfilled when she sees that experiences that she’s helped create are helping others reach their fullest potential - and she’s thrilled to have found the ability to do that in a Jewish setting.