HR0503 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0503 LRB102 20415 ECR 29276 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Throughout the fall of 1871, a group of Austro-Hungarian Jews assembled in a second-story loft above a dry goods store in Chicago; on the eve of Simchat Torah, October 8, 1871, these men congregated at the home of Moses Hirsch on Milwaukee Avenue; and

WHEREAS, At approximately 9 p.m., as the men discussed the details of the upcoming holiday, a fire ignited in a barn in Chicago's crowded West Division; as their meeting concluded, the 15 men stepped outside to find the city in flames; undeterred and even inspired by the disaster, the men vowed to meet again that very Shabbat, now under the banner of an officially named congregation Gemeinde Rodef Sholom, meaning "a gathering place for those who pursue peace"; a new congregation, the first to meet in Chicago after the Great Fire, was born; and

WHEREAS, In the beginning, the fledgling minyan rented space in an assembly hall at the corner of Peoria and Ohio Streets; in April of 1872, Gemeinde Rodef Sholom purchased the wood frame of an old Norwegian Lutheran church on the corner of Huron and May Streets; the synagogue then moved the structure to land it had purchased on the corner of Huron and Peoria Streets; and

WHEREAS, In June of 1873, a powerful windstorm destroyed the synagogue; through the selling of bonds, the members of the congregation quickly raised money, and a new structure was speedily erected not far from the synagogue's original plot on the corner of Huron and May Streets; with a new building, Gemeinde Rodef Sholom became Beth El, meaning "the House of God"; and

WHEREAS, In 1902, the synagogue purchased three adjoining lots at Crystal Street and Hoyne Avenue; there, the congregation built a much larger building for worship as well as a separate structure with a gymnasium and rooms for a Sunday school; Temple Beth El became the first synagogue in Chicago to house its religious school and its sanctuary in independent buildings; and

WHEREAS, In the 1920s, Temple Beth El built a new structure at Palmer Square and Sawyer Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood; the Palmer Square facility began as a humble clapboard house in the middle of a large vacant lot but eventually grew to accommodate the richness of activity and spirit; and

WHEREAS, Temple Beth El, like almost every synagogue in Chicago, felt the effects of the stock market crash; by 1931, the synagogue was in financial ruin; by 1932, it defaulted on its mortgage, and the property was foreclosed; nevertheless, the congregation remained resilient in the face of great difficulty; dues continued to be collected, and social and religious programming continued to be offered on a tentative basis at the Palmer Square facility; and

WHEREAS, As Temple Beth El entered the 1950s, a greater proportion of members now resided closer to Rogers Park than to Logan Square; with this information, Rabbi Weissberg successfully advocated for the synagogue to make a move; ground was broken at the intersection of Touhy and Albany Avenues for the Touhy Avenue facility in 1956; and

WHEREAS, By 1970, Temple Beth El reached milestone membership numbers, including over 800 families; plans were developed for construction and refurbishment of the Touhy Ave building; on October 9, 1971, a centennial gala took place to mark the synagogue's anniversary followed by a yearlong celebration with landmark events spaced throughout 1971 and 1972; land was purchased in Northbrook on Walters Avenue to house a religious school and small chapel; and

WHEREAS, In 1987, Temple Beth El purchased 3610 Dundee Road in Northbrook to develop into a multi-phase expansion project that would be completed over approximately 10 years; on November 13, 1988, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin building Beth-El's current home, where it will celebrate its 150th anniversary year; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Temple Beth El on its 150-year anniversary as a congregation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Temple Beth El as a symbol of our esteem and respect.