HR0665 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0665 LRB095 12924 GRL 38487 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Rabbi Kenneth Cohen on the occasion of his 10th year as spiritual leader of the Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Kenneth Cohen is a native of Brooklyn, New York and was raised and educated in the Farmingdale/North Massapequa area of Long Island in New York; he is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he received honors in religion; he studied for 2 years at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem; he received his master's degree in religion from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was ordained as a rabbi at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1975; and he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2001; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Kenneth Cohen served as rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, Delaware for 14 years, where he began his active involvement in interfaith relations, establishing a dialogue between his congregation and the Roman Catholic parish St. Joseph's on the Brandywine; he was also a member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; he continued his ecumenical endeavors while serving as rabbi of the Ohev Sholom congregation of York, Pennsylvania for 8 years; and

WHEREAS, Since taking the position of spiritual leader of the Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation in 1997, Rabbi Kenneth Cohen has acted as the Rabbinical Assembly's liaison to the Joint Conversion to Judaism class, and has served as the Assembly's President of the Chicago region; he has served on the board of the Midwest Region USCJ; he has served as a member of the planning committee for the annual interfaith clergy retreat; he has served on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, and served as its treasurer from 2003 to 2004; he also teaches Judaism to students at St. Gregory the Great High School in Chicago as a hobby; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Kenneth Cohen is married to Hedvah Campeas-Cohen, and is the proud father of 3 sons, Jonathan, Gabriel, and Michael; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Rabbi Kenneth Cohen on the occasion of his 10th year as spiritual leader of the Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rabbi Kenneth Cohen as a symbol of our esteem and respect.