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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to 
3learn of the death of Rabbi Dr. Peter Knobel, who passed away 
4on August 20, 2019; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, For much of his career, Rabbi Knobel was the 
6Senior Rabbi of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston, where 
7he encouraged interaction between clergy and congregants with 
8the goal of infusing Jewish meaning into the lives of 
9individuals and the community; more recently, he had served as 
10the Interim Senior Rabbi of Chicago's Temple Sholom, Temple 
11Judea in Coral Gables, and Temple Israel of Hollywood; and
  
 
  
12    WHEREAS, In addition to his congregational 
13responsibilities, Rabbi Knobel served in a variety of important 
14leadership roles nationally and in the Chicago-area community; 
15he was president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis 
16(CCAR), Chair of the Liturgy and Reform Practice Committee, and 
17a member of committees on human sexuality, homosexuality and 
18the rabbinate, and patrilineal descent; he served on the boards 
19of both the Union for Reform  Judaism and the Hebrew Union 
20College-Jewish Institute of Religion; he was a member of the 
21National Interreligious Leadership Initiative on Peace in the 
22Middle East; he was the editor of Gates of the Seasons: A Guide 
23for the Jewish New Year; locally, he served as president of The 
 
 
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1Chicago Board of Rabbis and the Chicago Association of Reform 
2Rabbis; he was active in the Evanston Downtown Clergy 
3Association; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, Rabbi Knobel will be remembered as an outstanding 
5scholar and teacher; he offered a wide range of courses at The 
6Spertus Institute over the past two decades and was a guiding 
7light for students enrolled in masters and doctoral programs in 
8Jewish Studies; he had a strong commitment to his students, 
9interfaith dialogue, and professional training; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Rabbi Knobel is survived by his wife, Elaine; his 
11children; and his grandchildren; therefore, be it
  
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL 
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
14Rabbi Dr. Peter Knobel and extend our sincere condolences to 
15his family, friends, colleagues, congregants, and all who knew 
16and loved him; and be it further
  
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
18presented to the family of Rabbi Knobel as an expression of our 
19deepest sympathy.