The North Shore Weekend, December 24th, 2022

NORTH SHORE MONEY

Lake Forest native Derrick “Suede” Stout will release anniversary recordings of his music catalog with Darwin Records pg23

NEW YEAR'S QUENCHER

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

'Tis the season to be jolly—and aware of the true meaning of Christmas, Pastor Brandon Myers insists pg34

“Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal”

-Kevin McCallister

RECENTLY SOLD AND UNDER CONTRACT

111 Lakewood Drive, Glencoe • $5,200,000 | 60 Brentwood Drive, Glencoe

• $3,675,000 | 120 Harbor Street, Glencoe • $3,350,000 | 789 Greenleaf Avenue, Glencoe • $2,820,000 | 422 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield • $2,395,000 | 300 Keystone Court, Glencoe • $2,300,000 | 537 Greenleaf Avenue, Glencoe • $1,850,000 | 230 Franklin Road, Glencoe • $1,842,500 1655 McGovern Avenue, #300, Highland Park • $1,710,000 | 1046 Bluff Road, Glencoe • $1,700,000 | 946 Bluff Road, Glencoe • $1,700,000

455 Sheridan Road, Glencoe • $1,675,000 | 225 Sheridan Road, Glencoe

• $1,560,000 | 675 Valley Road, Glencoe** • $1,500,000 | 926 Elm Place, Glencoe • $1,405,242 | 233 Park Avenue, Highland Park • $1,129,000 980 Green Bay Road, Glencoe • $1,107,000 | 2075 Painters Lake Road, Highland Park • $1,010,000 | 501 Washington Avenue, Glencoe • $910,000 1245 Gateway Court, Northbrook** • $849,000 | 149 W Saint Andrews Lane, Deerfield • $840,000 | 766 Grove Street, Glencoe • $810,000 387 Park Avenue, Glencoe • $780,000 | 54 Augusta Drive, Deerfield • $739,000 | 2328 Cambridge Drive, Northbrook • $701,000 | 1963 McCraren Road, Highland Park • $650,000 | 950 Timber Hill Road, Highland Park • $579,000 | 1660 First Street, #405, Highland Park • $467,000 421 Elm Tree Lane, Vernon Hills • $460,000 | 330 Greenwood Avenue, Glenview • $450,000** | 1418 Ferndale Avenue, Highland Park** • $365,000 643 Martin Lane, #643, Deerfield • $337,800

My loyal clients, that I hold so dear For helping to make this another fantastic year

My handyman Humberto, who is always on call Mending fences and water damage, he can do it all

My @marketing team, who hates me most of the time But their beautiful ads make every headline

Trader Joe's orchids, making every photo pop and of course HomeGoods, my favorite pillow shop

My photographer David, who puts up with me in his ear “Move the camera that way, no wait over here”

Stacy our office manager, who gets things done right away I know I can always count on her, no matter what time of day

Cory at TREND Construction, working with you is a treat Your houses are pristine, your work ethic concrete

Randy my lawyer, who can always read my mind Making every transaction smooth, by ensuring everything’s signed

To my amazing parents, Jane & Bill, and my amazing kids Anne & Jack I don’t know what I’d do without you, always having my back

To Santiva & Captiva, our first Christmas apart Although I’m not with you, you’ll always have my heart and finally, with huge gratitude... To Annie Bananie, who always knows the way to keep me stable and sane everyday

Every good love story has an element of destiny, that invisible force that drives us down a path we often don’t understand until we’re at the final destination.

For Lake Forest design executive Jennifer McGregor, that’s the only way to describe the tale of how she found herself buying and restoring a historic horse barn on Old Mill Road—a rare David Adler gem that was once part of a sprawling 480-acre estate built in 1926.

The timing of how and when the property came into her life could not have been more inconvenient.

“My former home, less than a mile from the new one, had been privately listed but was taken off when family circumstances changed and we felt it best to stay put,” says McGregor, explaining that her mother had become terminally ill. “An unsolicited offer was received by our realtor nine months later and it couldn’t have been more poorly timed as I was living out of state caring for my mom, plus I literally had just completed refinancing weeks prior!”

This turn of events set the wheels in motion for what she now sees as a journey of discovery, and healing.

A sale was negotiated with flex time for McGregor; her partner, Nandan; and her three children, Graham, Chase, and Harper to find a new place to live. Given her mother’s health and her busy schedule as Chief Revenue Officer for SpaceIntel, a zero-maintenance condo or townhome was looking very attractive. Then, during the home search, something completely different caught her eye.

She texted her realtor, Maureen O’Grady Tuohy, the address for a David Adler property on Old Mill Road—a 1947 residence built in what was originally the stable of the famed Albert Lasker Estate.

“We toured it that next morning and my world turned upside down,” explains McGregor, an interior architect and licensed designer who was more than familiar with the Adler pedigree. “I had driven by it hundreds of times but never

paid much attention.”

Something was different this time. Something was drawing her in.

“In our conversations that followed after our first viewing, I remember asking, ‘am I crazy?’” says McGregor, explaining that in the months that followed, even before closing, she felt so connected to the property that she started to maintain the lawn care. “As a veteran of the architecture and design industry and lifelong resident of Lake Forest, I really was the perfect buyer—willing to accept the quirkiness and imperfections and provide the right amount of direction and insight to bring it back.”

Most buyers would have walked away. McGregor not only embraced the challenge, but she took it on as a labor of love.

“I really felt a calling to bring it back to life, to restore it and give it purpose,” she says. “Along the way I realized it did the same for me.”

As she contemplated the initial purchase and renovation, she connected with local like-minded creatives and Adler owners for insight and support, including Anne Marie Klarcheck Farino; Frank Ponterio; Adrian and Nancy Smith; and designer friend Lori Lennon.

“Together with the team from Craig Bergmann Landscaping, we were off and running with a vision both inside and out,” says McGregor, explaining that she immediately became more of a steward to the home than an owner. “It just took the right mindset to see past what was currently there and be able to visualize a more cohesive fresh aesthetic.”

Reimagining the home’s future meant stepping back into the home’s past. Adler pedigree or not, this was no ordinary stable. The former horse barn was once part of a lavish 1926 estate built for Albert Lasker, a high-profile advertising executive known to socialize with celebrities. His Old Mill Road Estate included a 55-room French Provincial mansion designed by Adler, a private 18-hole golf course, a cocktail house, an air-conditioned theater, and 20 more buildings.

“The stable was converted into a single-family home in 1947,” she explains. “My neighbor Neelie Fritz and I have ‘sister houses’ in that they both were joined with a common horse arena

and water trough between them back in the day. Portions of the original structure were removed when the residences were created, literally mirror images of each other.”

The bones from that 1947 rebuild were solid, with stucco walls, high ceilings, rich millwork, and built-in bookcases. McGregor and her team made updates and upgrades throughout, including expanding the bathroom footprints and adding much-needed attic access. However, she says it is the outdoor space and landscaping that’s the star of the renovation.

“We started with cleaning up the dead trees that contributed to the blanketing layers of pine needles covering all of property,” says McGregor, adding that the rest took off from there to include a front elevation makeover, an expanded outdoor patio, white cross rail fencing, and a bluestone courtyard surrounding the original horse trough (now an English garden, courtesy of Bergmann’s crew). “I certainly had a vision board and knew what I wanted, but their team truly brought it to reality.”

What’s perhaps just as incredible is the fact that while McGregor was working diligently on plans to resurrect a nearly century-old piece of Lake Forest history, she was simultaneously driving back and forth to be by her mother’s side on her final days.

“While my siblings and I cared for our mom and in her last few months, the house was under contract and I was remotely managing all of this

Jennifer McGregor, Nandan Shah, and her children Graham, Chase, and Harper.

from 300 miles away,” she says. “My mom and I were very close and I had come to terms with the fact that she would never be able to see our new home or be there with us. She kept the glossy house brochure next to her at the kitchen table or next to her chair in the living room and studied it page by page, sharing with friends when they would come visit her. She was so proud to show it and walk them through ‘Jenn’s new house’.” What would this new creation look like, when all was said and done?

McGregor defines her personal style as “on trend, but classic and edgy.” An avid collector and self-proclaimed family historian, she has filled her home with iconic Knoll furniture balanced with cherished family heirlooms.

“I curated collections of vintage glass or silver or white ceramic and displayed them separately and monochromatically,” she says, adding: “The powder room gallery was a dynamic way to capture vintage family photos all in gold frames and group them together with images or sketches or menus from travel. It is a collection that keeps expanding and certainly gives our guests a lot to discover and laugh about, including the ‘ring for champagne’ bell.”

Not surprisingly, many of the spaces also have equestrian touches—some more obvious than others (including some original living room lamps she loved so much she negotiated them into the contract when she purchased the house).

McGregor’s beloved mother passed away

on July 24, four days before she closed on both properties.

“This home is an extension of all that grounds me, a beautiful place for reflection and celebration. As I have reflected this past year, I know the timing of all of this was never a coincidence,” says McGregor. “It provided a fresh start and new beginning for my own personal journey of ‘what’s next.’ It also has enabled me to pour myself into a project that has given so much back in the process. Some may call that a distraction, but I embrace it as therapy.”

Voices of HOPE

New Trier High School senior Daria Volkova, editor of Chicago Young Writers Review, publishes the works of young writers from across the globe.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Daria Volkova was one of those kids who skirted bedtime by hiding under the covers at night with a flashlight to read books. Reading has always interested her, and that led her to launch Chicago Young Writers Review (CYWR) last winter. CYWR is an online journal that publishes the works of writers as young as kindergarteners.

“As I grew older, I became more interested in writing and I started participating in writing competitions and sending my work to literary magazines,” Volkova, now a senior at New Trier High School, says. “I realized that a lot of these spaces were geared more towards adults and teenagers, but there wasn't a lot of space for kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. I think that children have such a wonderful imagination and I wanted to create a space for them to be able to share it.”

CYWR has an open submission policy and has published stories from writers not

just across the country but the throughout the world. It also accepts submissions from teachers who want to draw attention to their students’ work.

As long as you're a kid and you wrote something, you can submit your writing. We have a form on our website that allows kids to submit their own stories and a separate form for teachers,” she says. “We also hold writing competitions from time to time.”

Submissions range from short stories to entire novels, which due to space considerations, Volkova will publish only selected excerpts. Topics range from stories about animals to autobiographical writings about family.

“One of my favorites is a little girl, either in kindergarten or first grade, who wrote a story about her baby sister,” Volkova says. “Another one is about the role that stories and art have played in the young writer’s life. There's just so many that have been so wonderful and lovely,”

Volkova started working on the project in Fall 2020 and published her first issue last winter. She’s published a total of five issues to date and says because the journal is newer, it’s not

Now that the home is complete, the family is adjusting to a new normal—creating new memories and opening a new chapter.

“My partner discovered his love for cooking over quarantine so it’s the perfect hobby for us,” she says. “I create the environment and he serves the most amazing food. We don’t play golf or go on hikes but we travel and throw some kick ass parties! Our extensive record collection also contributes to the authentic layers of our home but played on a modern turntable and out of classic speakers. It all feels right.”

O’Grady-Tuohy, the Berkshire Hathaway realtor who played a supporting role in this story, says the match was meant to be.

“David Adler’s work is glorified by her love of the historical genius. She has put her heart into the renovations and it’s so lovely to see how she has brought it to this ultimate state,” says Tuohy.

“Her long roots in the area assisted in her appreciation for the Lasker Estate. As a realtor, it is a pleasure to witness the magic touch she provided to this masterpiece gem!”

McGregor says it all begins and ends with legacy. The legacy of David Adler but also the legacy of her childhood family, the family she has created, and the woman who she says will be with her forever.

“Mom may have never been able to visit or help me unpack my kitchen or switch out light fixtures or transplant hostas or prune the rhododendrons, but she is definitely here,” McGregor adds. “She is everywhere.”

editorial help when she needs it.

“The number of submissions depends on when we do contests, and there are times when we get more submissions,” she says. “We get a big influx at the end of the school year because kids are submitting stuff they wrote throughout the year.”

What’s especially satisfying for Volkova is giving young writers exposure for their work and sharing the perspectives of young people that should have their voices heard.

“We get submissions from all over the world, all different types of people, and kids have a lot to say. I think that kids are wiser than they are often given credit for,” says Volkova. “I study psychology in school and right now we're in our development unit and being reminded about how at this age kids haven't gotten limits yet on their imaginations.”

yet on a consistent publishing schedule.

While she hopes to eventually register the journal as a nonprofit organiza tion, for now it remains a volunteer operation, and she brings in extra

Volkova says it’s refreshing to read the thoughts of kids who are still young enough to dream, but also can see the reality of the world. There is often a lot of hope in the stories she publishes.

“They see the world in such an exciting way, and they can think of such exciting things,” she says. “It's a joy to be able to read and publish them.”

For information about Chicago Young Writers Review and to subscribe to its email newsletter, visit cywr.org.

Daria Volkova

Library

Dining room

FINDING THEIR WINGS

Katherine Banich of Winnetka; Meghan Norton of Lake Forest; and Maria Shideler of Winnetka joined forces as co-chairs to lead the planning for the 19th Annual Sweet Home Chicago fundraiser for WINGS, Illinois’ largest domestic violence agency, on December 11, at The Four Seasons Chicago.

Sweet Home Chicago honorary co-chairs, WINGS Board Chair Emerita Rita and John Canning also shared a moment with Santa and Mrs. Claus to celebrate that this year’s benefit raised more than $750,000 to support WINGS—bringing the total raised by this family fundraiser to close to $12.2 million since 2004.

Established in 1985, WINGS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has provided more than one million nights of safe shelter since it opened. During 2022, WINGS provided 7,500 hours of counseling services for adults and 9,000 hours for children.

To heal and become financially independent, WINGS’ clients move to one of more than 50 homes and apartments for two years or to one of 165 rapid rehousing units in the City of Chicago and suburbs for one year.

For more information, visit wingsprogram.com.

STAR Factor

Piven Theatre Workshop’s concert last month at Space in Evanston celebrated its Board Chair, Glo Rolighed, on 10 years of success, an event that drew such notable celebrity alumna as Ann Cusack.

The North Shore’s own Piven Theatre Workshop (Piven) celebrated Glo Rolighed— philanthropist, real estate broker, and Piven Board Chair—last month with a gala event attended by philanthropic leaders, community partners, and friends from Hollywood and around the country.

Held at Space in Evanston, the event honored Glo for her contributions to Piven’s successful programming over the past 10 years and introduced the Ron Rolighed Scholarship Fund.

Glo has been the leader of Piven’s work as it pivoted to expand its mission to include more programming for underserved individuals in underresourced areas. Partnerships over the past 10 years have included: Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre; Options for College Success; Cove School; Off the Streets Club; Rice Child and Family Center; Mudlark Theater;

Actor’s Gymnasium; the Cook County Jail; Literature for All of Us; Evanston Township High School; the Evanston Art Center; Open Communi;es; Rainbows for All Children; the Evanston YWCA; and Interfaith Acton.

“Honestly,” says Artistic Director Jen Green. “we couldn’t have done this without Glo.”

Known for its celebrity alumni, Piven remains committed to its mission of serving children and adults with theater training programs. Steeped in improvisational ensemblebased theatre techniques, Piven training programs foster growth in students of all ages by promoting listening, compassion, creativity, and self-esteem.

Whether teaching students with developmental disabilities, social and emotional challenges, or physical limitations, each person gains a sense of belonging and community at Piven, along with skills that are necessary

in theater, and in life. Piven has an enduring commitment to giving back to the community by offering need-based scholarships, giving away as much as $50,000 in scholarships per year.

Hosted by Ann Cusack and featuring the Chris Greene Quartet, the star-studded

concert began with music and a special tribute to Glo, along with unforgettable surprises throughout the night.

For more information about Piven Theatre Workshop, call 847-866-6597 or visit piventheatre.org.

Chicago-area nonprofit raises funds to support domestic violence survivors.

Piven Theatre Company Artistic Director Jen Green with alumna Ann Cusack and Board Chair Glo Rolighed, who was honored at last month's event.

Photography by Gosia Matuszewska, gosiaphotography.com

Banich Family

Norton Family

Denison Family

Shideler Family Hoye Family

813 Westerfield Drive, Wilmette IL 1485 Scott Street, Winnetka, IL 1304 Asbury Avenue, Winnetka, IL 1630 Sheridan Road, Wilmette IL 1330 Chestnut Avenue, Wilmette 860 Glencoe Drive, Glencoe, IL 426 Sunset Road, Winnetka, IL 3123 Old Glenview Road, Wilmette, IL 920 Pine Tree Lane, Winnetka, IL920 Pine Tree Lane, Winnetka, IL 212 Sheridan Road, Kenilworth, IL 15 Longmeadow Road, Winnetka, IL

2128 Chestnut Avenue, Wilmette, IL 112 Oxford Road, Kenilworth, IL 1749 Winnetka Road, Northfield, IL 2343 Greenwood Avenue, Wilmette, IL 157 South Deere Park, Highland Park, IL 2108 Thornwood Avenue, Wilmette, IL 139 Riverside Drive, Northfield, IL 914 Greenwood Avenue, Wilmette, IL 244 Oxford Road, Kenilworth, IL 1630 N. Sedgwick Street, Chicago, IL 615 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 103 S. Reuter Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 918 W. Waveland Avenue, Chicago , IL428 Linden Street, Winnetka , IL 970 Eastwood Road, Glencoe, IL 970 Eastwood Road, Glencoe, IL 555 Cherry Street, Winnetka, IL

South Deere Park, Highland Park, IL 450 Green Bay Road, Glencoe, IL 450 Green Bay Road, Glencoe, IL 2108 Kenilworth Avenue, Wilmette, IL 152 Bertling Lane, Winnetka, IL 968 Pine Street, Winnetka, IL 535 Dundee Road, Glencoe, IL 9452 Kolmar Avenue, Skokie, IL 681 Walden Road, Winnetka, IL 411 Ridge Road, Kenilworth, IL

Avenue, Winnetka,

Street, Winnetka, IL

Road, Northbrook, IL

Court, Wilmette, IL 2117 W. Crystal, Chicago, IL 292 Kensington Ct. Gurnee, IL

Longmeadow Road, Winnetka, IL 6020

Lane, Northfield, IL

Road, Northbrook,

Happy New Year from

Carrie grew up in Lincoln Park and has lived in Winnetka for the last 31 years. Her knowledge of the city and the North Shore allows her to serve clients from the Loop to Lake Forest. A special area of expertise includes Wilmette lakefront condos.

When not serving her clients and spending time with family, Carrie likes to take early morning walks to watch the sun rise, singing in the Christ Church Winnetka Choir, and enjoying the outdoors.

MUSIC MAN

songs to blues to jazz.”

Stout began composing in many different styles, and as a result wanted to perform in different styles. Much of his early writing was instrumental, new age-style music in the vein of the solo pianist George Winston. Early on in his performing career, a close friend told him the Deerpath Inn in Lake Forest was searching for a pianist.

“I always think of Sam in Casablanca. They wanted someone there playing Gershwin and Cole Porter,” Stout says. “I Went to the audition and started the next week. Because they wanted it really to be in the background, I was able to play predominantly my own music and write music while I was there. Even if I flubbed a note nobody heard it.”

Stout met and befriended other local musicians while playing at the Deerpath Inn, which led to other gigs and eventually the start of a successful career that included traveling the world with prominent musicians like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. One of his fondest memories is of a residency he did at the old Lovell’s in Lake Forest. He also started a record label, Darwin Records, named after his father.

His first album, titled Deerpath, is a collection of solo piano numbers named after places in Lake Forest. It ended up being pressed five times. He built a recording studio with the proceeds from his recordings and live performances.

“Most musicians I know practically pay to play,” he says. “But I just kept banking this money and I decided I’m going to sign every one of my friends that I think is really good and put out a record for them and I’m going to produce it in my recording studio.”

In addition to his music production and solo performance work, Stout plays in a number of collaborative acts with an impressive group of musicians who have played with artists such as Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

He is a man of a million stories.

You tend to collect a lot of them when you’re Derrick “Suede” Stout and you’ve been in the music business for nearly 40 years— whether it’s a story about Richard Marx or the Beach Boys or Eddie Vedder.

Stout grew up on the North Shore and says many of his high school friends looked forward to moving away for school or to start their adult lives elsewhere. His heart has always been anchored here.

“I grew up in Lake Forest but, as I like to say, I’m surprisingly well adjusted. When I

was growing up it was the ‘70s and it was more like a Mayberry, a nice little town,” Stout says. “It was about strangers on the street saying ‘hello’ to each other, all very kind and safe.”

Stout says his music career turned out to be something of a fluke. When he was young, he got interested in theater and performed in a number of local productions.

“It all was sort of an accident. I did children’s theater. In the old days in Lake Forest, it was called ‘Group For …’ and they had a children’s department that did theater,” he says. “Vince Vaughn was in it, and I did nine shows with him. It was a great place if you wanted to try that out.”

During his junior year at Lake Forest

High School, Stout performed in a show titled, “When Are You Coming Back Red Ryder,” and got such good reviews that colleges like DePaul and Loyola started offering scholarships for their theater programs. With the help of his supportive parents, he figured he was well on his way to an acting career. Then music intervened.

Stout says he “tripped on a piano” and discovered he was a natural at not just playing the piano but other instruments such as the drums and the saxophone and harmonica.

“Any instrument that I picked up I could perform at a pretty high level. I thought this was cooler than acting because you’re an actual person,” Stout says. “Then I started writing music, from classical minuets to pop

The projects reflect his early and varied interests in musical genres. There’s a big band orchestra, a Beatles tribute band, and the Suede Diamond Band, which highlights Stout’s vocal range and style that is similar to Neil Diamond.

“Unlike other musician for hire, we are the real deal, Grammy-considered, Grammynominated, and Grammy winners,” he says. “We play with passion, talent, sincerity, and commitment, and it shows.”

Darwin Records will be releasing anniversary versions of Suede’s entire catalog in spring 2023, all with bonus tracks, re-mixed and remastered on flash drives. The drives will also have over 50 previously unreleased tracks. For bookings, contact Lynette@lyricandlecture.com or 847-997-8870. You can also visit suedemusic. weebly.com.

After decades in the music business performing and producing, Lake Forest native Derrick “Suede” Stout continues sharing his talents.

JEWISH CHRISTMAS

It's no secret that Jewish families flock to Chinese restaurants during the Christmas holidays, but what is lesser known is how this tradition started more than a century ago. We talk to North Shore residents who celebrate and go back in time to when it all began.

BY SHERRY THOMAS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

There will be no stockings “hung by the chimney with care” this weekend for the Kalmans. No visions of sugar plums, reindeer sightings, or visits from St. Nick.

But there might be cookies—fortune cookies, that is—as the Glencoe family celebrates its own version of Christmas.

“We call our December 25 outings Jewish Christmas and we always have a blast,” says Marissa Kalman, who likens being Jewish on Christmas Day to summering in a college town when you have the whole place to yourself. “No crowds, no traffic. The world is our oyster ... er ... bagel!”

NEW YEAR'S QUENCHER

In what she calls a “rush of freedom” for she and fellow “MOTs” (Members of the Tribe), Kalman says Christmas can be “the most wonderful time of the year” for Jewish people and those who don’t celebrate the Christian holiday.

“Primo seats to the hottest movies? Check!” she says. “Easy parking and no line at the Chinese and Indian restaurants? Double check!”

But for the Kalmans and other North Shore familiess, the Chinese food and movie ritual on Christmas is about more than finding a way to entertain themselves when most stores and restaurants are closed.

It’s a tradition that began more than a century ago on New York’s Lower East Side, back in the days where Jewish and Chinese immigrants were the largest non-Christian population.

“There are some serious reasons why Jews have made it a custom to go to Chinese restaurants on this Christian holiday,” the North Shore’s own Rabbi Cantor Nancy Landsman told a North Shore Weekend reporter in 2016. “The decade of the 1880s saw over a million and a half Jews immigrating to the United States. Many Chinese moved to the cities, creating ‘Chinatowns’ that often butted up against Jewish neighborhoods.”

According to Landsman, who founded Glenview’s Ahavat Olam in 2012, “the Chinese food of the time, Chow Mein and Chop Suey, contained an amalgam of ingredients with which Jews were familiar, such as onions, garlic, celery, and other vegetables. Even pork and shrimp were often disguised in the heavily chopped concoctions served to Jewish diners. Pork, wrapped and hidden in a wonton, reminded Jews of their mother’s kreplach.”

S. L. Wisenberg, a Chicago area author with ties to the North Shore, says like with many other things in Jewish culture, it’s all about the food.

“Going to the movies on Christmas Day is part of Jewish tradition, though it’s not a constant. But Christmas Eve in Chinatown— that's sacred,” explains Wisenberg, whose Jewish-inflected The Wandering Womb: Essays In Search of Home will be published in March. “It has become so much my tradition that the other day I was part of a group choosing dates for a Hanukkah party and I wrote that Christmas Eve was out because that date is reserved for Chinatown.”

While it’s easy to see how the tradition began back in late 19th century New York—two groups of marginalized immigrants finding common ground in good food and community—what might be even more inspiring is how it has been carried on through the generations.

Rabbi Cantor Landsman has said that part of it may be that the Chinese had no history of anti-Semitism. And yet, it’s more than that.

“Eating Chinese on Christmas is something that still helps preserve group bonds by encouraging socialization and bonding of several generations of family members who sit together at the round table,” she adds.

Wisenberg, who explores her own “Jewish-

ness” in her latest work, agrees,

“What makes a tradition? Repetition is one element,” she says. “The people who come with us change slightly each year. People go out of town, make other plans. Over the years the group has included two different rabbis, one Reform and one Reconstructionist, and by now we have shared memories of the different ways that Lao Sze Chuan has set things up for Christmas Eve.”

One year there was a tent for the lingering crowds to wait outside. A few other times, the manager did tricks with a sword. Then there was 2020, when even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the tradition.

“We got carryout Chinese food and ate while Zooming with friends from Evanston who'd become part of our Christmas Eve tradition,” explains Wisenberg.

Kalman says their family’s “Jewish Christmas” has similarly expanded and evolved over the years to include friends and “adoptees” they pick up along the way.

“Along with my husband Gregg and our daughters, Ellie and Ava, we meet up with the Greenberg and Cott families whom we befriended through multiple generations attending Harand Camp of the Theater Arts,” says Kalman, laughing. “If you are wondering what dining at a huge table of theater people is like, I can highly recommend it as long as you like laughing, and sometimes singing with your meal.”

In the end, it all comes back to the MOTs, and sharing something that is uniquely your own.

As Rabbi Joshua Plaut wrote in his book, A Kosher Christmas: ‘Tis The Season To Be Jewish, “Chinese restaurants became a favorite eatery for Jews who emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States and to New York City, in particular, in the early 20th century. It was a happy coincidence that Chinese restaurants stayed open on Christmas Eve, thus giving Jews across the United States a natural venue in which to partake of their own versions of Christmas dinner. ‘Eating Chinese’ on Christmas soon became a national sensation that defined Christmastime activity for Jews all over the United States.”

Growing up, Wisenberg recalls the “otherness” she felt when attending Christmas services with friends.

“In those cases, you're welcome but you're definitely an outsider,” she explains. “You go to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve, you're definitely comfortably ensconced in your own tradition. And you're eating great food.”

Kalman hopes her daughters will carry on the Jewish Christmas they’ve enjoyed through the generations.

“Our kids are now older, and it has been such a joy to watch them grow into such interesting, warm, hilarious young adults,” she says. “I hope as they eventually create families of their own, they will continue the tradition and save some seats for us elders—and maybe even regale us with a few show-tunes for old times' sake.”

THE PURITAN

If you are already a martini lover, this neglected classic is where you should go next. The dot of yellow chartreuse give it a very subtle hint of herb that brings a whole new dimension to the drink. For best results, make sure it’s served in an ice-glazed coupe straight from the freezer.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Stir it up! That is the chorus in Britain on Stir it Up Sunday, right before Advent. Churchgoers hear, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people,” and anyone—churched or not, with a love for boozy Christmas puddings stirs up the fruity mix to get the holidays going.

Loaded with spice, fruit, nuts, and tradition, the Christmas “pud” is a lovely creation, more moist and mellow than American fruit cake. Since it is fed little tipples of brandy from the day it is made until Christmas, the treat emerges a well-spirited highlight of the holidays.

Our recipe yields one large pudding centerpiece (made with a 7.5-inch x 5.25 inch pudding mold), with enough extra batter to make six little minis to go alongside. We have included a bright mix of raisin, dried cranberry, and apricot as the fruit base, but you can substitute in sultanas or currants, dried cherries, figs, or dates. Because the traditional “mixed spice” used to make British Christmas puddings is not readily available

INGREDIENTS

For the marinated dried fruit:

• 1 cup black Thompson seedless raisins

• 1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

• 1 cup dried cranberries

• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice

• Juice of 1/2 orange to make 3 tablespoons (reserve orange peel to make candied peel, recipe below)

• Juice of 1/2 lemon to make 2 tablespoons (reserve lemon peel to make candied peel, recipe below)

• 2/3 cup cream sherry or ruby port

For the candied citrus peel:

• Peel of 2 fresh oranges, with much of the white pith removed, diced small to make 2/3 cup

• Peel of 1 fresh lemon, with much of the white pith removed, diced small to make 1/3 cup

• 1/3 cup sugar

For the batter:

• 2/3 cup self-rising flour

• 1/4 tsp ground clove

• 1/4 tsp ground mace

as a blend here, we have incorporated it in the recipe as separate spices, along with a simple and delicious method for making your own candied citrus peel. To finish the pudding, you can cloak the finished pudding in a glaze of our brandy cream, or, simply dust it with a little powdered sugar snow. We have garnished with true sprigs of holly—the customary topper which represents the crown of thorns—but if you do the same, be careful not to let the berries touch the treat—they are not edible.

Adjusting beloved British pud recipes for American larders, our recipe gives the quantities in cups and tablespoons. We have made it with frozen butter, rather than suet (although you can sub in a bit of suet if you like that savory flavor). And if you do not have a steamed pudding mold on the shelf, you can use a 6-cup mixing bowl. For the minis, little metal pudding molds are available online, but you can also use porcelain ramekins in a 3/4cup size. Note: There is a little leeway in how much you fill the molds. If you use smaller molds for the minis, be sure not to fill beyond 3/4 full. There is enough space in the 6-cup pudding mold to fill with the main pudding batter, plus what you do not put in the minis.

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp ground Jamaican allspice

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground caraway seed

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2/3 cup frozen unsalted butter, grated (substitute 1/3 cup of shredded beef suet for 1/3 of the butter if you like)

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

• 3 slices of fresh brown bread, crusts removed and discarded, bread torn into tiny bits

• 1/2 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans

• 2 large eggs

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 2/3 cup stout

• 1/3 cup whole milk

For greasing the pudding molds:

• 4 tablespoons softened butter or 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

For the brandy cream:

• 4 tablespoons salted butter

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/4 cup superfine sugar

• 5 tablespoons brandy

Equipment needed: one 6-cup pudding mold with fitted lid OR 6-cup mixing bowl with greased parchment paper and aluminum foil to make a lid, and kitchen twine to tie around the wrapped mold; six 3/4-cup mini pudding molds or ramekins with greased parchment paper and aluminum foil to make lids, and kitchen twine to tie around the wrapped mold; two large stock pots to steam the puddings, one for the 6-cup mold and one for the six minis.

Makes one large pudding centerpiece (pudding will be about five-cups in size), and 6 mini puddings (each ½ cup)

METHOD

Make fruit mixture:

In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine raisins, cranberries, apricot, and apple with the orange and lemon juices and sherry. Mix, then set aside while making candied citrus peel.

In a small saucepot over medium-high heat, cover the orange and lemon peel with 2 inches of water. Heat to boiling and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain peel out and discard water. Replace cooked peel in pot, cover with a second batch of fresh water, heat to boiling, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain peel out and discard water. Repeat one more time.

Next, heat 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for three minutes. Add cooked citrus peel, reduce heat to low and continuing simmering, stirring occasionally until peels are translucent and liquid becomes a syrup. Scoop candied citrus into the bowl of marinating dried fruit. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to marinate for 24 hours.

Make batter:

Sift flour, sugar, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Add crumbled bread. Stir in the fat (butter, and suet, if using) and chopped pecans. Whisk egg and honey with stout and milk. Stir into dry ingredients (this is traditionally where each family member gives the bowl a stir).

Spoon all of the fruit mixture into the batter and stir to incorporate.

Prepare and fill pudding molds: Using softened butter or solid vegetable shortening, copiously grease the inside of each mold. Starting with the mini pudding molds, fill each with about ½ cup of the mixture, making sure each mold or ramekin is no more than ¾ full. Smooth tops to level. Spoon the rest of the

pudding mixture into the large mold. Remaining batter should fill the mold about two-thirds of the way. Smooth top to level.

Cut and grease rounds of parchment paper to place on the top of each mold. Cover with lid (if using a pudding mold that comes with a lid) or cover each mold tightly with two layers of foil. Using kitchen twine, encircle each pudding, wrapping from top around bottom and up again. Tie to create a handle. Fill each of two large pots with enough water to come half the way up the sides of the molds you are steaming. Cover pots, heat water to slow boil, and steam the puddings for four to five hours, replenishing water if the level gets low.

Remove finished puddings from steamers and cool. Remove wrappers. Prick surface of puddings with a toothpick and drizzle with a little brandy or sherry. Cover and store in a cool, dry spot. Unwrap occasionally to drizzle with a little more brandy, until Christmas day.

Make brandy cream:

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt thebutter. Add flour and whisk constantly to create a thick, smooth paste. Continue whisking for 1 minute. Add milk and continue whisking for three minutes to form a smooth sauce. Add sugar, whisking until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and whisk for another five minutes. Whisk in brandy. Pour over pudding. Note: brandy cream can be made ahead, kept in the fridge, and reheated at service.

To serve: Remove puddings to serving plates. Prepare brandy cream to pour over or serve on the side. Garnish with holly sprigs, being careful not to let any holly berries touch the puddings—the berries are inedible.

THE SAME STORM

This 2022 film (now available on streaming services) sought connection in the age of COVID-19, but Zoom doesn’t work for filmmaking.

RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes RATING: 2 stars

BY REX REED THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Inspired by a Damian Barr quotation (“We are not all in the same boat.  We are all in the same storm”) this film features a large ensemble cast that includes Elaine May, Mary-Louise Parker, Sandra Oh, Alison Pill, Ron Livingston, and Judith Light. Each make brief contributions to a series of vignettes, each connected in sequence to the next, in a cinematic case of connect the dots—not the best or most emotionally successful way to guarantee a continually fascinating narrative.

Some segments work better than others, but there’s no satisfactory connective tissue. With so many characters in so many convoluted plots addressing the viewer via Zoom, the mind quickly wanders.

It goes like this: A woman despairs when a hospital nurse named Joey (Raúl Castillo) informs her that her husband is being placed on a generator in preparation for his final exit. Then the nurse, stressed out by constant death, is shown consulting a hooker named Roxy (Mary-Louise Parker) to help him masturbate. Next, Roxy contacts her super-naive, emotionally apathetic mother (the criminally wasted Elaine May, in her first film role in decades) to reassure her she’s OK, but the mother hangs up and calls her ophthalmologist son (Danny Burstein), who happens to be the brother of Roxy. He tries to convince her to go to the hospital and treat her positive COVID diagnosis, but she hangs up on him, too.

Trying to analyze the ways love can unite people in dire

circumstances, the doctor offers help to an immunocompromised Asian mother (Sandra Oh), whose schizophrenic son overdoses on drugs on camera, sending his Mom, a recovering alcoholic, back into AA.

Extending the idea of panic as a way of life, writer-director Hedges gives the audience a break from the pandemic to include the fear of police brutality expressed by an activist who is, incidentally, the daughter of a New York cop. There’s also a dated debate over 2020 politics and an irrelevant (and overlong) discourse on right-wing polemics involving a noxious family of bigots that includes a fifth-grade teacher (the wonderful Alison Pill), her liberal gay brother (Cory Michael Smith) who has never forgiven her for voting for Donald Trump, and their two other redneck siblings, staging a disastrous final birthday for their terminally ill mother (Judith Light, also wasted).

I won’t even bother to go into the ending, which reverts back to the wife in the opening scene whose husband was on a ventilator. Tonal shifts dominate the narrative in so many disruptive ways that I spent the final half hour looking at my watch.

Brief moments of light shine through the darkness, but mostly it’s a disappointing study of the confusing time we live in now. It’s a noble experiment that wears itself out fast, then drags out the running time until the idea of COVID-19 fades in the rearview mirror and we’re left facing even more problems than we started out with.

Bring back Singin’ in the Rain

Illustration by Tom Bachtell

Famed film critic Rex Reed weighs in on The Same Storm and Thirteen Lives.

THIRTEEN LIVES

Combining all of Ron Howard's strengths in one dynamic thriller, this 2022 film (now available on streaming services) was a great tribute to the resilience of the human spirit at a time when it takes a crisis to bring out the best in people.

RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 25 minutes

RATING: 3.5 stars

BY REX REED THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

As scripted, documentary-style fact-based dramas go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Thirteen Lives is the third film to document the harrowing events in the summer of 2018 surrounding the heroic rescue efforts of a team of the world’s most accomplished underwater divers to save 12 young members of a Thai soccer team and their coach, trapped in the flooded Tham Luang Cave. However, it has special appeal because although it’s a long and arduous slog, it benefits enormously from the direction of Ron Howard with his usual polish and skill for making every minute count.

Eight hundred meters from the entrance, in the pitchblack darkness, the footballers were savaged by a premature rainy-season monsoon, oxygen levels plummeted, the cave walls collapsed, rendering the passageways in the underground tunnels too narrow to crawl or swim through. By midnight, the parents outside the cave in the pouring rain began to panic, and the area was crawling with everyone from friends and relatives to NAVY seals.

Currents shifted, first responders were up to their necks in water, and rescuing the boys looked hopeless, but the movie is just beginning. It really begins to perk when volunteer divers, called “spelunks,” arrive and devise a strategy to drag the boys underneath the murky water to the exit hole without drowning, while the eyes of the world watched in horror.

The headline-making ordeal lasted three weeks and attracted the help of 5,000 volunteers from 18 countries. Howard’s film is not so much about the trapped athletes as it is about the physical and emotional dangers faced by the confused but gritty and determined middle-aged rescuers, led by England’s Richard Stanton (Viggo Mortensen, unrecognizable with a shaved head) John Volanthen (Colin Farrell), macho

This crew put their heads together and concocted a dangerous, controversial plan to tranquilize the children, then knock them out with syringes of atropine and ketamine, and literally float them horizontally, one by one, below the surface of the water, encountering every unimaginable near-death experience along the way.

Unethical, illegal, and never tried before, the plan was rejected by Thai government authorities, but with air running out and hypothermia setting in, it was a last resort with miraculous results. Since we know the outcome already, the facts might seem like deja vu under someone else’s direction, but Howard artfully balances the tension inside the cave with the circus-like atmosphere that develops outside, similar to Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole

The harrowing events of this subterranean nightmare that were previously explored in the documentaries The Rescue and The Cave are greatly enhanced by William Nicholson’s meticulous screenplay, and thrillingly photographed by Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, who shot Call Me

By Your Name

The first-rate production values are matched by the galvanizing emotional force in Ron Howard’s craftsman-like direction, which gives the journalistic saga a human dimension that makes you feel the terror and heroism even more.

Howard has proven, in recent years, a special interest in realistic human dramas like Frost/Nixon and documentary portraits of real people as diverse as the Beatles and Luciano Pavarotti.  Combining all of his strengths in one dynamic thriller, Thirteen Lives is a great tribute to the resilience of the human spirit at a time when it takes a crisis to bring out the best in people.

American Chris Jewell (Tom Bateman), and Australian anesthesiologist Dr. Harry Harris (Joel Edgerton).

PUPPETS ON PARADE

The 5th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival will take place next month at the Fine Arts Building and other locations throughout Chicago.

BY MITCH HURST

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Puppeteers from 10 different countries will be bringing their talents to Chicago from January 18 through 29 for the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest festival of its kind in North America.

The festival was founded to establish Chicago as a center for the advancement of the art of puppetry and returns as an annual event showcasing an entertaining and eclectic array of puppet styles at venues large and small throughout the city.

“We have geographic and stylistic diversity and performances for young children and adults. It run the gamut,” says Blair Thomas, Artistic Director for the festival. “It’s a sprawling giant of a festival anchored at the Studebaker Theater but spreads out to the Museum

of Contemporary Art, the Logan Theatre, and the Chopin Theatre.”

The newly renovated Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building on South Michigan Avenue will be the site for two puppetry shows for audiences as large as 600. The festival opens with the French-Norwegian production of “Moby Dick” and closes with “Frankenstein,” staged by Chicago's Manual Cinema.

Returning in 2023 is the free Neighborhood Tour, a series of puppetry workshops for working artists, and the Ellen Van Volkenberg Puppetry Symposium with free admission at the Studebaker Theater on both festival Saturdays.

Also back for artists across all disciplines looking for a deep dive into diverse puppetry styles are two sessions of the Catapult Artist

Intensive, offering eight shows per weekend with behind-the-scenes access to the artists.

“’Moby Dick’ and ‘Frankenstein’ are visual feasts, and we also have ‘Invisible Lands’ from Finland about forced migration, during which two puppeteers use their own bodies in a live production,” Thomas says. “There’s also a piece from Brazil based on a well-known carnival folk hero that will be at the MCA.”

Thomas grew up in a small town in Alabama and got into puppetry at young age. He moved to Chicago to work in the theater industry—including a stint running Redmoon Theatre—but eventually rediscovered his youthful passion.

“Puppets are unique for showing fantastical worlds and imaginative things that can’t happen in real life,” Thomas says. “Puppets can come in

Photography by Saverio Truglia

Photography by Tom Lee

Photography by Tiffany Bessire

all sizes and can say things that humans can’t.”

Sandy Smith Gerding, Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival’s Executive Director, grew up in Winnetka and graduated from New Trier High School. She studied dance and French culture at the University of Illinois and after a career in arts management, coaching, and helping develop arts organizations, she was drawn to the magic that puppetry offers.

“This is a great group of people, and there’s a newness and excitement to it, an energy around the people and a lot of sense of discovery,” Gerding says. “Puppetry is very poetic and physical.”

Gerding says the World Puppet Festival which is held every two years in CharlevilleMézières in Northern France, serves as an inspiration for how she and the festival team want to grow the event in Chicago.

“Chicago is the largest puppetry festival in North America and doing international programming is not for the weak of heart,” she says. “You’ve got to grind through the visa machine and there’s lodging, translation, and transportation to arrange.”

This year’s program was assembled with the help of a new curatorial committee that sought a balance between show size, available venues,

MATERIAL PURSUITS

This weekend’s curated luxury trends.

PACK IT

Hinsdale’s Maggie Gerth is the genius behind PROPS LUGGAGE, a carry-on approved roller case with built-in legs. This first-of-a-kind suitcase can serve as its own luggage rack, airport work station, or even a dining table. With travel sometimes bumpy these days, choosing a welldesigned bag like this can make a big difference in your trips. Props Luggage is lightweight and designed with a top-lid opening, which makes it easy to pack. propsluggage.com

variety of audiences, and new business partnerships.

“We have to make business choices but also be inclusive, including different voices and women directors to ensure there’s range of work and cultures being presented,” she says. “We want as broad a group as possible.”

Yngvild Aspeli is artistic director of Plexus Polaire, the French-Norwegian company performing the opening show of “Moby Dick.” She develops a visual world that brings buried

feelings to life and uses life-sized puppets, music, and light and video as equal elements in communicating a story.

“Puppetry is a form that constantly is reinventing itself,” she says. “It goes beyond genre, and fearlessly crosses the borders of other artistic expressions. Puppetry is not only a form, but also a way of seeing the world, a language, a state of mind.”

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival takes place from January 18 to January 29 at locations around Chicago. To access a full lineup of performances and events and to purchase tickets, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.

HIT THE SLOPES

Generations of local children and teens have participated in Trolls, the ski and snowboarding program at KING KEYSER Not many things inspire kids to be up and on a bus early on Saturday morning, but the thrill of being with friends is reason enough to fill several coaches for the eight-week season. This month kicks off the 59th season of Trolls. It’s quite an accomplishment with an incredible roster of alumni skiers. kingkeyser.com

PAGE THROUGH IT

Does White Lotus season two have you pining for an Aperol Spritz and a plate of pasta with a view of the sea? Add this beautiful book to your library for an afternoon of armchair traveling. The lush photography and lively storytelling perfectly captures la dolce vita assouline.com

Photography by Christophe Raynaudde Lang

THE GREATEST GIFT

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

Brandon Myers was 6 when his family had to cut short a vacation in Hawaii.

His maternal grandfather had died of a heart attack in Tennessee some 30 years ago. The family flew back to Buffalo Grove.

“There, waiting in his car in our driveway, was Bill Dondit, senior pastor at the church (Our Saviour Evangelical Free) we attended in Wheeling,” Myers recalls. “He wanted to be there for us, to be present, to console. And he didn’t overstay his welcome.

“That’s a vivid memory from my childhood. It had a profound impact on me. Pastor Bill was there to serve as the under-shepherd (of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ).”

The senior pastor at Christ the King Reformed Baptist Church in Niles? Myers.

Brandon Myers.

The gregarious-to-the-bone, uplifting 36-year-old—a former interim youth pastor and assistant pastor at Our Saviour Evangelical Free Church—was called to the confessional Reformed Baptist church in October 2020.

The husband of Kaiti and the father of their four children (Eva, Audrey, Patrick, and Haddon, with a fifth on the way in February), Myers likens the appointment to a gift.

“It was a really small congregation when we arrived here,” Myers, sitting at the desk in his office, says. “Between 20 and 30 members in all. People wanted me to revitalize the church, which was something I embraced immediately. It’s been a blessing ever since.

“We were welcomed warmly, and we brought 15 to 20 kids (from families his family knows) with us to the church,” the Arlington Heights resident continues. “It’s now packed every Sunday here, with between 80 and 90 people. What I get to do, to serve, to preach the Good News of salvation to our members, is truly a gift.”

But it’s nothing compared to another gift. Make that, the gift.

“The gift of God—eternal life through Jesus Christ,” Myers says. “It’s a mind-bending, mind-blowing gift that’s also the true meaning of Christmas. People need to be reminded of its meaning, absolutely; it’s about truth, love, hope. God didn’t send an angel or a host of angels or a judge. God sent his only Son, the word made flesh, the light of the world.”

It’s all right there in John 3:16, termed as “the golden text of the Bible.”

“For God so loved the world,” the verse begins, “that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The next verse, John 3:17, doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, Myers believes.

“For God,” it starts, “did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

“God dwelling with people was gracebased,” Myers says. “People don’t deserve God’s kindness, but God gladly gives it to them anyway. What a wonderful message of hope.”

Myers was only 5 when “the Lord convicted me of sin and led me to repent and trust in the

Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation."

“I was stubborn, too strong-willed,” adds the son of Paul and Pam, an elder and a Sunday School teacher, respectively, at Our Savior Evangelical Free Church during Myers’s childhood. “God was gracious.”

Myers attended Buffalo Grove High School and played baseball for the school’s Bison teams, his last two as a strong-armed third baseman.

He then enrolled at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, majoring in political science and minoring in history at the private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian school. Kaiti, an Indiana native and a tennis player, also hit the books at Taylor.

But they did not date at TU. Brandon and Kaiti got married in 2013.

“God got a hold of me in college,” says Myers, who was active in campus ministry, organized prayer groups, and mentored fellow students.

Myers graduated in 2009 and found work, for three summers, as a groundsman at Trinity International University, a private Christian school in Bannockburn.

“I mowed lawns, pulled weeds, and lined the school’s football field,” Myers recalls.

Becoming grounds foreman at TIU came with a perk: free courses. Myers loaded up on the offerings and studied hard in between fulfilling his duties as head of a five-man crew.

“I invested in them, all of them, and got to know my men quite well,” says Myers, who also served as an assistant resident director at TIU.

He then heard, more than once, on campus: “Have you ever considered the ministry?”

Myers earned a Master of Divinity degree at TIU, before returning to his childhood church in Wheeling to enlighten and inspire its flock. Among his favorite verses is Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

His tenure as an assistant pastor—a threequarter-time position—at Our Saviour lasted nearly four years.

In his free time Myers loves to read, hang out with his family, and compete in pickup basketball games. His parents—“amazing people,” he exclaims—still reside in Buffalo Grove.

His favorite sound in the world, hands (and ears) down?

Laughter. His children’s laughter, specifically.

“Awesome,” Myers says. “There’s nothing like it, nothing like that sound. And they’re all image-bearers of God. Eva (8 years old) is a big reader; Audrey (6) is nurturing; Patrick (4) is so observant; and our 2-year-old, Haddon, you should see his head bobs.”

The couple’s third son, Malachi, (“messenger of God,” in Hebrew), is due on February 10.

Another blessing.

Another gift.

Christ the King Reformed Baptist Church is located at 7339 North Waukegan Road in Niles. For more information, visit christthekingrbc.org or call 224-310-9744.

The true meaning of Christmas often gets buried under mounds of presents, ornament-clad trees, and gingerbread houses. Senior Pastor Brandon Myers, “shovel” in hand, is here to dig—and to remind.

It’s a mind-bending, mind-blowing gift that’s also the true meaning of Christmas. People need to be reminded of its meaning, absolutely; it’s about truth, love, hope.

Senior Pastor Brandon Myers