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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Rabbi Irving J. Rosenbaum, age 83, the longtime
3 Chicago Loop Synagogue leader, passed away January 28, 2005;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, Rabbi Rosenbaum touched millions around the world
6 with his multi-media Judaic and Hebrew education materials and
7 was also the founder of the Davka Corporation, one of the
8 largest developers of religious software; he was a quick
9 learner who realized Judaism's peaceful teachings could be
10 absorbed through film, television, newspapers, and books; and
 
11     WHEREAS, He was born in Omaha, Nebraska and came to Chicago
12 at the age of 16 to attend the University of Chicago and
13 Skokie's Hebrew Theological College; after receiving his Ph.D
14 in Judaic literature, he became the national director of the
15 Department of Inter-religious Cooperation of the
16 Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In 1960, he moved to Boston for a short period to
18 work on a Brandeis University project that educated journalists
19 on civil liberties and civil rights; he returned to Chicago a
20 year later when he was named the first executive director of
21 the Chicago Board of Rabbis; under his leadership, the
22 organization created a Jewish children's show and
23 Hebrew-language instruction program for adults on public
24 television; the board also sponsored the First National
25 Conference on Religion and Race, which featured an address by
26 the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Rabbi Rosenbaum, who served Chicago Loop
28 Synagogue between the early 1960s and late 1970s, also taught
29 an ongoing leadership seminar called "Jew 101" and authored
30 "The Holocaust and Halakhah"; he was named Hebrew Theological
31 College's president in 1977, where he created the Institute for

 

 

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1 Computers in Jewish Life; and
 
2     WHEREAS, He was a self-taught amateur electrician,
3 plumber, and carpenter who learned how to swim in his 40s; many
4 of the things he did were pioneering; he was far ahead of his
5 time, he had great vision; he was an extraordinarily
6 intelligent, creative person; in many ways he was a Renaissance
7 man; he was always searching for innovative ways to reach Jews
8 and non-Jews alike; and
 
9     WHEREAS, All of his sons became rabbis and his daughter
10 married a rabbi; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The passing of Rabbi Irving J. Rosenbaum is felt
12 by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife, Ruth (nee
13 Groner), his sons, Rabbi Roy (Judy) Rosenbaum, Rabbi Don
14 (Roberta) Rosenbaum, and Rabbi Alan (Talli) Rosenbaum; his
15 daughter, Susan (Rabbi Saul) Schwartz; his 13 grandchildren and
16 several great-grandchildren; and his sister, Pauline (Joseph)
17 Guss; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
19 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20 Rabbi Irving J. Rosenbaum and we extend our sincerest
21 condolences to his family, friends, and community; and be it
22 further
 
23     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
24 presented to his family as an expression of our deepest
25 sympathy.