Full Text of SR1608 101st General Assembly
SR1608 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Harav Hagaon Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz | 4 | | of Chicago, who passed away on December 9, 2020; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz was born to Avrohom and Pearl | 6 | | (Scher) Schwartz of the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Newark, | 7 | | New Jersey on January 24, 1925; at the age of 17, he attended | 8 | | the Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan | 9 | | Theological Seminary (RIETS), in New York City, New York; he | 10 | | was later ordained as a rabbi and studied the first Kollel at | 11 | | RIETS; he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Yeshiva | 12 | | University in 1990; he was honored with the Harav Yosef Dov | 13 | | Halevi Soloveitchik, Joseph B. Soloveitchik Aluf Torah Award, | 14 | | at Yeshiva University's Chag Ha'semicha convocation in 2014; | 15 | | and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz enjoyed an illustrious career as a | 17 | | synagogue rabbi in several locations, including Providence, | 18 | | Rhode Island, Englishtown, New Jersey, Philadelphia, | 19 | | Pennsylvania, and Brooklyn, New York; he concomitantly served | 20 | | on various regional rabbinical bodies, kosher supervision | 21 | | bodies, and rabbinical courts; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz was brought to Chicago in 1986 to |
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| 1 | | become the Av Beit Din, Chief Rabbinical Judge and Adjudicator, | 2 | | of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc); during his tenure of | 3 | | over 30 years as Av Beit Din and eventually Rosh Beit Din, he | 4 | | oversaw the cRc's growth and development into an | 5 | | internationally recognized leader in Jewish law, global kosher | 6 | | supervision, and community leadership; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz also served the community in a | 8 | | multitude of positions; he was appointed as Av Beth Din of the | 9 | | Rabbinical Council of America's Beth Din of America in 1991; he | 10 | | served as editor of the HaDarom Journal; he was a leading voice | 11 | | for organizations, including the Religious Zionists of Chicago | 12 | | and Hatzalah; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz was a brilliant scholar of Jewish | 14 | | texts and was erudite in all areas of study; he made a lifelong | 15 | | commitment to child and adult education as well as to his own | 16 | | lifelong pursuit of study; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz steadfastly defended the integrity | 18 | | of traditional Jewish law and traditions, while engendering | 19 | | peace and unity throughout the community; he was devoted to | 20 | | mentoring and supporting younger rabbinic colleagues, engaging | 21 | | every individual with warmth and humility, and helping the | 22 | | oppressed with sympathy, righteousness, and dignity; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz was a proud American citizen, a | 2 | | supporter of local police departments and elected officials, | 3 | | and particularly supportive of military chaplains who served in | 4 | | the U.S. Armed Forces; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz was preceded in death by his first | 6 | | wife, Rebbetzin Risya (Shoshana) Poupko; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Rabbi Schwartz is survived by his wife, Rebbetzin | 8 | | Chana Sarah; his son, Avrohom Yeshaye (Sally) Schwartz; his | 9 | | daughter, Rivka Leah (the late Rabbi Yehoshua) Goldman; his | 10 | | son, Chaim Yehoshua Heschel (Shani) Schwartz; his | 11 | | grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 13 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 14 | | Harav Hagaon Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz and extend our sincere | 15 | | condolences to his family, friends, the Chicago Rabbinical | 16 | | Council, and the Jewish community in the Chicago area and | 17 | | around the world who knew and revered him; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Rabbi Schwartz as an expression of | 20 | | our deepest sympathy.
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