Welcome to Fort Wayne
Your Guide to Jewish Life
in Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne has a small but unusually historic Jewish community — nearly two centuries old and still very much alive. Whether you’re relocating here for work, family, or a fresh start, this page is your orientation.
The Essentials
Everything You Need to Know
The eight most important things for a Jewish newcomer to Fort Wayne.
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office@fwjf.org
260.456.0400
Get Connected
Fort Wayne’s Jewish community is small enough that the right introduction changes everything. Here is where to start.
Congregation Achduth Vesholom
Indiana’s oldest Jewish congregation, founded in 1848 and located at the Rifkin Campus on Old Mill Road. The Temple offers both Reform and Conservative worship, more than eight generations of community history, and a warm welcome to newcomers at every service.
Fort Wayne Chabad Jewish Center
Fort Wayne Chabad Jewish Center offers traditional Jewish worship, Shabbat and holiday programming, adult learning, and outreach to the broader community. An accessible entry point for anyone seeking a more traditional or observant Jewish experience in northeast Indiana.
Community Programming
The Federation hosts Rosh Chodesh dinners every third Wednesday, annual speaker events, an end-of-year meeting, and ongoing programs throughout the year. Check the Community Calendar for current and upcoming events — it is the single most reliable source for what is happening in Jewish Fort Wayne.
Children & Family
Joy Vey children’s programming runs through Congregation Achduth Vesholom and offers Jewish education and community for school-age kids. Each summer, Camp Joe Levine gives Fort Wayne’s Jewish children three weeks of camp, friendships, and Jewish identity in one of northeast Indiana’s most beautiful settings.
Rifkin Campus Library
The Madge Rothschild Resource Center at the Rifkin Campus houses the Rabbi Richard B. Safran Library and the Goldman Memorial Museum, with a timeline spanning 200 years of Jewish life in northeast Indiana. Open to community members — an excellent first visit for anyone new to Fort Wayne’s Jewish community.
Say Hello
The Federation office at 5200 Old Mill Road is the best first call for any newcomer to Fort Wayne’s Jewish community. Drop in, call 260.456.0400, or email office@fwjf.org. Someone will answer — and the right introduction from this office will open more doors than any website can.
At a Glance
Fort Wayne Jewish Community
Quick Reference
Welcome to the community.
Fort Wayne’s Jewish community has been here for nearly two centuries. It is small, close-knit, and genuinely welcoming to newcomers. Whether you grew up Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or unaffiliated — there is a place for you here.
Reach out any time:
The Easiest First Step
Come to a Rosh Chodesh Dinner
Not sure where to start? Come to dinner.
Every third Wednesday of the month Women of the Fort Wayne Jewish community gathers for a Rosh Chodesh dinner. It’s casual, low-commitment, and the single best way to meet people quickly. You’ll walk away knowing names, faces, and a clearer sense of whether Fort Wayne feels like home.
3rd
Wednesday Every Month
Dinner · Conversation · Community
All Jewish Women are welcome
Former Fort Wayners
Grew Up Here?
If you grew up in Fort Wayne’s Jewish community and have since moved away, this page is for you too. The community you remember is still here — gathering monthly, hosting speakers, sending kids to camp, and carrying forward 175 years of history.
Stay connected through Chailights — our newsletter — or reach out to the office directly. We’d love to hear from you.