Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership | spertus.edu
Winter–Spring 2022
News & Events
Be the Light!
| P2
Fighting Antisemitism with Education | P7 Critical Conversations: Community Responsibility in the Age of COVID | P9 Learning to Build a Better Future | P13 Cartoonist Brings New Life to Rescued Stories | P23
A New Look
Every so often, it’s time for a refresh.
As Spertus Institute approaches a landmark birthday (100 in 2024!), we have been taking a good look at the most important ways we meet needs and serve constituents. Last year we rolled out a strategic plan focused on Jewish learning with lasting impact and real-world application, that advances lives, jobs, and communities. At the same time, we have expanded our scope and capacity. Spertus now reaches learners around the world—in addition to those in Chicago, where we remain an important educational anchor. With our sharpened focus and significant geographic growth, it makes sense for our look to get some attention as well. In the months ahead we will be proudly rolling out a brand refresh that honors our past and celebrates our future. A new website will follow. The flame, long an element of the Spertus logo, will now often appear in a circle, centering its power and reflecting our global impact: as the flame lights the world. New fonts provide increased legibility online and on mobile, with cross-platform availability to streamline remote work for our staff. We have also embraced a newer translation of the Hebrew phrase which appears below the flame. Traditionally, this phrase (pronounced Yehi Or) has been translated as “Let There Be Light,” but we find the more active rendering, Be the Light, to be an inspiring snapshot of our impact and the work of those we serve.
We extend thanks to Spertus Senior Designer Tracy Kostenbader for her significant contributions to this project. The refresh incorporates ideas from our recent work with Greater Good Strategies. Our website is being created in partnership with Ignite Digital Strategy Group.
News A New Look | P2 Letter from Spertus President and CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell | P5 On the Cover | P5 Fighting Antisemitism with Education | P7 Educators and Thought Leaders | P11 Stories That Matter | P25 Video Series Features Spertus Board Chair Dr. Sharon Silverman | P29 62 Years of Service | P31
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper.
Contents
Graduate Programs Degree Offerings | P13 Learning Together | P15 Alumni Advance Communities Around the World | P17
Certificate Programs Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism | P7 Certificate in Jewish Leadership | P13
Workshops and Programs Critical Conversations: Community Responsibility in the Age of COVID | P9 Connect & Learn: Presented with JPro Chicago | P19 MentorWorks: Self-Reflection | P20 Leadership Academy: Reimagining Nonprofit Governance | P21 Voices: Rescued Stories Brought to Life | P23
Your Support Funding and Fostering a Community of Learning | P27 Your Legacy | P28
Spertus Institute is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community
Health & Safety Guidelines | All visitors must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a photo ID per Chicago mandate. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status and our on-site food and beverage kiosk is closed. Our programs continue to be a mix of onsite and online. All is subject to change. Please check our website at spertus.edu, sign up to receive our enewsletters, or follow Spertus on social media for regular updates. Discount Parking | Discount parking is available for $10 at Grant Park South Garage, 325 S. Michigan Avenue. The discount is good for 12 hours with Spertus validation. 3
Letter from Dr. Dean P. Bell
Discovering Resilience in Jewish Text and Tradition “Ahiyah Hashiloni cursed them as a reed. What is a reed? That which stands in a place of water, with shoots that renew themselves and many roots. Even if all the winds in the world come and blow against it, it will move back and forth with them. When the wind falls silent, the reed will stand in its place. But the wicked Balaam blessed them as a cedar, as it is said: Like cedars beside the waters (Num 24:6): What is a cedar? That which does not stand in a place of water, without shoots that renew themselves and without many roots. When the winds come and blow against it, it does not move back and forth with them. So when a strong south wind blows against it, it is uprooted and upended.”
— T HE TA L MUD (Tractate Ta’anit 20a)
On the Cover As an institution rooted in Jewish wisdom, at Spertus we believe that studying Jewish texts isn’t just an academic exercise. It is a relevant platform for building a more compassionate, more vibrant Jewish future. In the same vein, artist Michel D’Anastasio brings light and contemporary interpretation to Hebrew calligraphy. His creation for our cover features the phrase יהי אורwhich appears in our logo and inspires us to Be the Light.
In times that require resilience, I often think about the text at left. While the passage can (and has) been interpreted in many ways, this is where I find meaning: It can be difficult, especially in tumultuous times, to know what is a blessing and what is a curse. Often they are different than we expect and come from places we might not have anticipated. At different times, certain values or characteristics can be more useful in our work and lives. The reed is more flexible and adaptable, rooted with renewable shoots, even if it appears weaker. The cedar is strong and can withstand a great deal, but it lacks the reed’s agility. In my forthcoming book, Interreligious Resilience, co-authored with Professor Michael S. Hogue, I had the chance to place texts and ideas like these into conversation with a range of contemporary issues, from globalization to religious polarization. I did so by exploring the concept of resilience, noting that simply returning to a status quo (which we term simple resilience) is not enough; rather we must develop a more complex resilience to learn, grow, and adapt. This kind of resilience relies on social networks and community (the flexibility and redundancy of the reed), on one hand, and is rooted in tradition (like the cedar), on the other. In addition, resilience is embodied in the act of making meaning, which is at the heart of what the rabbis were teaching us. The act of interpreting, contextualizing, and analyzing undergirds a resilient approach to life. As you look through the programs and updates in this issue of Spertus News & Events, I hope you will take the time to learn and make meaning with us. With best wishes,
Dr. Dean P. Bell, President and CEO Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
Michel D’Anastasio is a left-handed calligrapher, painter, and designer based in France. He trained under some of the masters of contemporary calligraphy and his work has been exhibited worldwide. A 2004 trip to Israel to explore his family’s Jewish history led him to discover Hebrew calligraphy, which is now a fundamental part of his practice. See more at script-sign.com or follow him on Instagram at @hebrew_calligrapher.
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Fighting Antisemitism with Education
Sign up at spertus.edu/combating-antisemitism to receive further information as it becomes available. To learn how your support can make a difference for the future of this exciting new program, please contact Marcia Lehman, Vice President for Advancement, at 312.322.1735 or mlehman@spertus.edu.
Spertus Institute launches program to provide Jewish organizational leaders the skills to respond to antisemitism. There is a critical need for Jewish communal leaders to respond to antisemitism with knowledge, strength, and skill. Although incredibly important, most professionals never receive formal training in this area. Beginning this year, a new Spertus Institute certificate program will address this need with the expertise it demands. The new Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism will provide a foundation in the history and current manifestations of antisemitism, along with a concrete toolbox of skills to respond. The program will include training in communications and messaging, building community alliances, organizational analysis, strategic planning, advocacy, program implementation, and program evaluation. Spertus will soon be taking applications from those in leadership positions in North American Jewish organizations of all types, including social justice, social services, synagogues, advocacy, education, community relations, philanthropy, campus engagement, and interreligious partnerships. As a signature Spertus educational initiative, this new program will engage critical contemporary and emerging issues through Jewish lenses, utilizing scholarship to build adaptive capacity for a rapidly changing world. Ultimately, it will empower participants to make substantial, significant impact in their communities.
Advisory Committee for Program Development Dr. Dean P. Bell, President/CEO, Spertus Institute David Bernstein, Founder, Jewish Institute for Liberal Values and Former President/CEO, JCPA Dr. Catherine Chatterley, Founding Director, Canadian Institute for the Study of Antisemitism and Editor-In Chief, Antisemitism Studies, published by Indiana University Press Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, Dean/Chief Academic Officer, Spertus Institute Rori Picker Neiss, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of St Louis Mark Reisbaum, Philanthropy Advisor, Reisbaum Consulting Leah Soibel, Founder and Executive Director, Fuenta Latina David Waren, President/CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford 7
Community Responsibility In the Age of COVID
Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program inspired by Judaism’s embrace of civil discourse. The series brings together high-profile experts and activists to address the most critical issues of the day. Critical Conversations is generously funded by the late Eric Joss.
This year, our presenters will focus on community responsibility—within and beyond Jewish life. Sunday, April 10 | 7 pm–8:30 pm CT This year’s Critical Conversations will take place online. Free thanks to generous donor and sponsor support. Advance registration required. Closed captioning provided. The pandemic has forced an array of longstanding issues to the forefront, making questions of community ever more critical. What do we mean by questions of community? Who is in and who is out? How do we prioritize limited resources, even such basics as food and medication? What is the cost of lionizing some and villainizing others to reinforce norms? In this program we will examine the sharp edges by which communities are defined and enlivened, how the pandemic has affected our notion of community responsibility, and how these issues shape our future.
Sign up at spertus.edu/conversation to learn about this year’s presenters as confirmed and reserve your spot.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Educators and Thought Leaders Peoplehood Education
Congratulations to Spertus faculty members Dr. Dean P. Bell and Dr. Shlomi Ravid on the publication of Peoplehood Education— Goals, Pedagogy, and Outcomes. Ravid and Bell co-edited the volume, which includes contributions from Spertus Dean and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren E. Fraiman and faculty members Rabbi Dr. Scott Aaron and Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz among the fourteen featured articles. Through a lens of applied education, the articles explore questions of Jewish collective belonging, global community, and mutual responsibility. Visit jpeoplehood.org for a copy of the publication or to learn more.
Jewish Learning for Jewish Adults
New Approaches for New Times For those who work in the Jewish communal world, the website eJewishPhilanthropy.com is an important industry resource. In a recent opinion piece, Spertus Director of Jewish Studies Dr. David N. Gottlieb challenged fellow educators to creatively incorporate sources, mediums, and materials that reflect the rich variety of Jewish life and experiences. Read Gottlieb’s piece at spertus.edu/news
Every year, Spertus partners with the Archdiocese of Chicago and a committee of local organizations on the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Jerusalem Lecture, which continues the Catholic-Jewish dialogue that Cardinal Bernardin advocated. Dr. Sarit Kattan Gribetz, Associate Professor of Theology at Fordham University, will deliver this year’s lecture, hosted online by DePaul University, on March 22. See spertus.edu for details.
Spertus continues to add new talent to our faculty roster Mordy Walfish is the newest member of the Spertus faculty, where he teaches Strategic Management to our MA in Jewish Professional Studies students. Walfish is the Chief Operating Officer of Leading Edge, an organization that strengthens how Jewish nonprofits attract, develop, and retain top talent. He previously served as VP for Programs at Repair the World, where he played a key role in the organization’s redesign and oversaw community-based service programs. Walfish has an MPA (Master of Public Administration) from NY University and was a Schusterman and Wexner Graduate Fellow. He is board chair emeritus of JQY, which serves LGBTQ youth in the Jewish community. 11
At our core—learning with lasting impact For nearly 100 years, Spertus Institute has been dedicated to learning that is rich, rigorous, and deeply relevant to the issues that shape Jewish life. While we proudly present programs in an array of formats—for participants in Chicago and around the world—at our core are the degree and certificate programs that offer students the opportunity to passionately engage with Jewish ideas in the service of their personal and professional advancement.
Kendall McCaugherty © Hedrich Blessing
Learn about these opportunities at spertus.edu or contact Assistant Director for Recruitment Amie Barrish at abarrish@spertus.edu.
Degree Programs MA in Jewish Professional Studies Accepting applications now for North American and Accelerated Executive cohorts beginning this fall.
MA and DS in Jewish Studies and Doctor of Hebrew Letters Sequenced format programs with opportunities for students to pursue individual areas of interest. Apply now and begin your studies with the June 2022 seminar.
Certificate Programs Certificate in Jewish Leadership Presented by Spertus Institute’s Center for Jewish Leadership in partnership with Northwestern University. Serves Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders. Accepting applications for cohorts beginning spring and fall 2022.
Upcoming: Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism For those in leadership positions at North American Jewish organizations. See page 7.
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Learning Together Several times a year, Spertus students from across our academic and professional programs come together for weeklong seminars. These seminars provide intensive periods of learning—with time carved out in advance from students’ busy professional and family lives. But that’s not all. Seminars are lively, exciting times of creative and intellectual cross pollination. Faculty and students from near and far exchange ideas, debate course content, discuss challenges, share dreams, and build a community of learning. Since the start of the pandemic, many of our classes (even seminars) have been online. Spertus Institute was a pioneer in distance learning and our academic team brings considerable expertise to students’ online experiences. But it’s still great to get people together, in real life, when it’s safe to do so. For our October seminar, 22 students joined us here in Chicago, easing back into classroom learning and giving those who began their studies during the pandemic their first opportunity to meet members of their cohorts in person.
Feedback from our Fall Seminar Students completed the seminar feeling galvanized, inspired, and with a new sense of comradery. We know because they told us. In a post-seminar survey, 90% of participants said they felt energized by the seminar and the great majority felt part of a community of learning.
What did they like best? Being with their cohort—and meeting others Learning together Lively discussions Access to world-class faculty The thoughtfulness of the Spertus staff
MA in Jewish Professional Studies North American Cohort with Spertus President Dr. Dean P. Bell (back row, bright blue mask) and Dean and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren E. Fraiman (back row, far left). We’ve been told on good authority that there are big smiles under those masks! Photo by Barry Kafka.
Plans for our Spring Seminar New for this seminar, unique cross-program, cross-cohort mini-courses are being presented on a diverse range of timely topics, all related to the Jewish experience, all taught by talented faculty members at the top of their fields.
Among the mini-courses being offered: What is Jewish Spirituality? with Rabbi Josh Feigelson, Executive Director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality People of the Comic Book with New Yorker cartoonist Ken Krimstein (see p23) Judaism, the Earth, and Climate Change with Dr. Rachel Havrelock, Director, Freshwater Lab at UIC When Change is the Only Constant with Dr. Claire Sufrin, co-author of the award-winning New Jewish Canon Fairytales, Fables & Fantasies in Holocaust Film & Fiction with Dr. Danny Cohen, Professor, Northwestern University, and specialist, Holocaust memory Talking about Jesus with Jews and Christians with Rabbi Dr. Devorah Schoenfeld, Professor of Theology, Loyola University 15
Spertus alumni sp across the United
Their work advances the capacities o organizations, foundations, and soci
Winnipeg, Canada Fostering user-friendly opportunities for Jewish education Seattle, WA Raising funds to support Jewish educators North Beach, CA Building an online community celebrating Jewish food (with a book soon to follow)
Denver, CO Helping teens chart Jewish journeys
Northbrook, IL Creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities and special needs
Eagle River, WI Developing safe ways to open summer camp during the pandemic that set an example for camp openings worldwide
Los Angeles, CA Raising money to support LA’s Holocaust Museum La Jolla, CA Constructing a vital leadership pipeline for women in communal organizations Scottsdale, AZ Engaging Jewish teens and young adults through youth and Hillel programming Austin, TX Developing cutting-edge Jewish arts and cultural programs
Leadin c
park change in communities States and around the globe
of day schools, camps, synagogues, educational institutions, advocacy ial service organizations, impacting every aspect of Jewish life.
Chicago, IL Engaging interfaith families in robust and meaningful Jewish life Metro Detroit, MI Enhancing Jewish life for thousands of college students Youngstown, OH Transforming a JCC into an emergency response center at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Boston, MA Advocating for fairness in the Jewish divorce process
Brooklyn, NY Empowering Jewish teens
Richmond, VA Mobilizing Jews and their communities to pursue a just world
Pittsburgh, PA Leading a national Jewish foundation
Charleston, SC Supporting small Jewish communities through training, services, and programs
Dayton, OH ng meaningful community conversations about Israel
Ft. Lauderdale, FL Igniting love of Jewish community for thousands of young campers
Savannah, GA Guiding the allocation of funds to enrich life-saving efforts, locally and globally Orlando, FL Creating wellness, counseling, and mental health programs for thousands of college students 17
Spertus Institute and JPro Chicago present
Connect & Learn A community-building, professional development series for Spertus students and alumni, professionals at Chicago Jewish organizations, and their guests. Spertus Institute’s esteemed scholars and practitioners lead deep dives into topics ranging from Jewish wisdom to nonprofit management skills. Participants gain skills they can apply immediately to their life and work—and they become part of a lively network of learners and community leaders. Sessions are online, live, interactive, and collaborative. Each session includes time to connect, network, meet new colleagues, and strengthen relationships.
Upcoming Sessions Advance registration required. Reserve at spertus.edu
Thursday, February 17 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm CT
Critical Questions, Mapping Meaning Led by Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, Spertus Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Thursday, March 31 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm CT
The Constant Pivot, Practicing Leadership Agility Led by Alyssa Dickman, Faculty Chair, Spertus Institute’s Center for Jewish Leadership
Thursday, May 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm CT
Being Conscious, Being Jewish Led by Dr. David N. Gottlieb, Spertus Director of Jewish Studies
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MentorWorks
Self-Reflection for Mentors and Leaders Thursday, February 24 from 12 to 1:30 pm CT Advance registration required. Reserve at spertus.edu Join London-based TEDx speaker and professional consultant Lior Locher for an interactive online workshop for mentors, coaches, and anyone who guides or leads others. Develop new professional skills, explore new ideas, and connect with a network of peers.
Self-reflection can help you build confidence, foster motivation, repeat successes, and learn from mistakes. In this workshop, mentors and managers will learn to develop or deepen their own self-reflective practice and, in breakout sessions centered around Jewish values, gain the skills to bring self-reflective techniques to their mentees or staff. Lior Locher is a coach, speaker, and author who specializes in serving those working toward a better future. Known for “going deep, then making it practical,” Locher is a psychotherapist and experienced L&D (Learning and Development) innovator, nominated for the EMCC Global Coaching Award in 2019. 20
Leadership Academy
Reimagining Nonprofit Governance Thursday, March 10 from 12 to 1:30 pm CT Advance registration required. Reserve at spertus.edu Dr. Hal M. Lewis leads a special online workshop that will examine alternative approaches to effective nonprofit governance—fiduciary, strategic, and generative. Dr. Hal M. Lewis is Spertus Institute’s Chancellor and Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies. A prolific writer and popular teacher on leadership, he is a member of the faculty of the Center For Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC, and principal consultant for Leadership For Impact LLC, a leadership consulting practice that serves the needs of nonprofit executives and their boards. From 2008 to 2018, he served as Spertus Institute’s eighth President and Chief Executive Officer.
MentorWorks and Leadership Academy are programs of Spertus Institute’s Center for Jewish Leadership, supported in part by a generous grant from the Crown Family. These online programs are free thanks to donor support.
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VOICES
Rescued Stories Brought to Life
A Conversation with Writer/Cartoonist Ken Krimstein
An NPR Best Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Book of the Year A Chicago Tribune Best Read
Monday, June 13, 2022 at 7 pm Advance registration required. Visit spertus.edu/voices for program details and to reserve your spot.
Spertus Institute is thrilled to again be working with writer and New Yorker cartoonist Ken Krimstein—and to be able to share his amazing latest project with you. Several years ago, we worked with Krimstein on an exhibition of archival materials and drawings from his graphic biography of Hannah Arendt, which went on to be a finalist for the Jewish Book Award. In the middle of our work together, he left on a mysterious trip to Vilnius. Sparked during that visit, his book When I Grow Up: The Lost Autobiographies of Six Yiddish Teenagers has us mesmerized. In the 1930s, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in Vilna (Vilnius), held a memoir-writing contest for Yiddish-speaking teens. They received 700 entries. The prize was to be awarded on September 1, 1939, the day Hitler invaded Poland. Long thought to be lost to the Nazis, the teens’ essays were in fact heroically smuggled into hiding. In 2017, they were found. Krimstein, notebook in hand, came to bring them to life. In When I Grow up, Krimstein shares stories from six of the young men and women. Almost cinematic, the narratives are full of humor, yearning, ambition, and teen angst. It’s as if half a dozen new Anne Frank stories suddenly came to light, framed by the dramatic story of their rediscovery. This is Spertus Institute’s 2022 Horwitz Family Presentation on Jewish History, generously endowed by the Horwitz Charitable Fund. This program is free thanks to donor support.
“Readers will leave with gratitude for Krimstein’s innovative vision of a time and place, rescued from oblivion.” — JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL 23
Stories That Matter Spertus Institute presents authors whose stories shed light on Jewish experiences and the broader human condition. Ken Krimstein (who will join us this spring, see page 23) follows a pair of authors featured in December and January for live online streaming conversations.
Ayelet Tsabari (CBC/Sinisa Jolic)
December 2021 | Solomon Goldman Lecture Ayelet Tsabari joined us from her home in Tel Aviv in December for a conversation spearheaded by Spertus Dean and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren E. Fraiman. Speaking about Tsabari, an award-winning author of Yemeni descent, Dr. Fraiman said, “This year has brought conversations of diversity to the forefront in ways we haven’t seen in decades. With honesty and artistry, Tsabari explores what it was like to grow up Yemeni in Israel. Her stories are personal, but the themes are universal. What is it like to have immigrant parents? To negotiate multiple cultures? When there aren’t people that look like us doing things we dream to do, how do we forge new paths?” The Solomon Goldman Lecture Series is endowed by the late Rose and Sidney Shure. Tsabari’s appearance was presented in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest and the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago.
These programs continue a Spertus tradition of sharing the work of both established and new writers, but with a twist. In one of the few silver linings of the COVID era, the online format means authors can participate from afar and we can open our programmatic doors to those who wouldn’t be able to join us in person.
Peter Cole
January 2022 | Alex & Klara Tulsky Presentation on the Jewish Future Peter Cole joined us from New Haven, CT (where he teaches at Yale) in January for a conversation with Spertus President and CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell. Members of the public joined Spertus students, faculty, and alumni in the online audience. Cole is a poet, translator, and professor whose accolades include an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Jewish Book Award for Poetry, and a MacArthur Fellowship. “Cole is one of the most creative intellectual forces today,” said Bell. Their conversation was wide-ranging, from Cole’s first job (janitor at a Holiday Inn) and first library card (to the library at Brown University) to the influence of medieval Spanish poets and the sources of Cole’s creativity. Made possible with sponsorships from Bernstein and Oppenheimer.
John & Joan Gilchristt
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In 2024, Spertus Institute will celebrate its centennial. As we enter our Second Century, we invite you to add your support.
An Investment in Spertus Institute is an Investment in Our Shared Jewish Future Your philanthropy, large or small, lays the groundwork for our second hundred years of Jewish learning with lasting impact.
Critical Conversations with environmentalist Kevin Green, behavioral economist Katherine Milkman, and author David Wallace Wells, 2020.
Tuition and fees cover only a small part of Spertus Institute’s operating budget. Spertus relies on the generosity of donors like you!
Give today at donate.spertus.edu To find out how your support can make a difference across the Institute, contact Marcia Lehman, Vice President for Advancement, at mlehman@spertus.edu or 312.322.1735.
Philanthropic Opportunities Student Scholarships
Centers of Excellence Center for Jewish Leadership Critical Conversations Global Responsibility Communities & Collective Identity
Scholarship support ensures that Spertus educational opportunities are accessible to all.
Think Tanks Spertus Think Tanks bring scholars and practitioners together to examine pressing contemporary issues and catalyze change.
Public Programs
Upcoming Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism A new program prepares leaders of Jewish organizations to address rising antisemitism. See details on page 7.
Annual sponsorships and special endowment funds make Spertus public programs possible.
Membership Membership is another way you can support Spertus Institute and plug into select benefits!
Visit donate.spertus.edu/membership to learn more.
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Thank You to Our Treasured Second Century Circle! In 2024, Spertus Institute will reach a key milestone: 100 years. The beginning of our second century. Our Second Century Circle ensures that Spertus will continue to strengthen Jewish communities, organizations, and leaders for generations to come. L’dor v’dor.
Join this growing list of those who have generously supported Spertus Institute’s Second Century commitment. Anonymous (3) Donna E. Barrows Dr. Dean & Juli Bell Peter B. Bensinger, Jr. & Heidi Wagman Roger O. Brown Reaha Corwin Sherman Corwin Bruce Crane & Laura Cooper John V. Darey Deanna Drucker Dr. Keren Fraiman & Eitan Stieber Rebecca & Zach Garrett Ethel & William Gofen Norma & Phillip Gordon Joyce & Avrum Gray and Family Ellen & Jon Hattenbach Family Ambassador Bruce Heyman & Vicki Heyman Gene & Adele Hoffman Harold & Holly Israel Elana G. Kahn
Jessica & Mats Lederhausen Anne & Elliot Lefkovitz Sheryl & Michael Markman Mark & Barbara Mehlman Dr. Victor & Rose-Miriam Mirelman Odette G. Olson Tal M. Rosen & Anna Levin Rosen In Memory of Howard S. Shapiro Dr. Sharon Silverman Priscilla Shirk & Andreas Sosnowski Michael Spertus Sylvia & Philip Spertus In loving memory of David J. Spira Luis & Fortuna Spitz Caryn & Laurence Straus Sara Vegh & Ken Ziejewski Ettie & Melvin Weinberg Bruce D. Werner Family Brenda & Marc Wilkow Stephen Wolff & Dr. Marla Mendelson
Contact Marcia R. Lehman, Vice President for Advancement at mlehman@spertus.edu or 312.322.1735.
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Spertus Institute Board Chair Dr. Sharon Silverman Featured in Series on Jewish Role Models
Since 2017, San Francisco-based Silver Screen Studios has been making short videos that spotlight seniors with powerful stories to share. Its current series, Sign of the Times, focuses on Jewish activists, age 60+. Among those profiled is Spertus Board Chair Dr. Sharon Silverman. Directed and produced by Silver Screen founder Tiffany Woolf, the series is funded in part by Reboot, an organization that supports the work of creators, artists, and entrepreneurs who explore the Jewish experience. Silverman said that being interviewed made her think about her own life’s path. In her segment, she discusses how her Jewish identity is tied to her passion for teaching. She shares highlights from her career as an academic, including her work at Loyola University Chicago, where she founded the university’s Learning Assistance Center and taught in the School of Education, and her experiences as a Fulbright Senior Scholar at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa and a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Silverman said: “I’ve seized opportunities and grown and developed through them. By sharing my experiences, I hope it inspires others to do the same.” Silverman has brought her considerable energy and expertise to her role as Chair of the Spertus Board of Trustees. At the same time, she has been inspired by the Institute’s signature application of Jewish learning to address pressing issues and to prepare those we serve for our collective future.
View the video at spertus.edu/silverscreen
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WE’RE READY TO HOST YOUR NEXT CELEBRATION!
Courtesy of Madi Ellis Photography.
LARGE OR SMALL, WITH GUESTS IN THE ROOM OR JOINING YOU VIRTUALLY FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WE ARE RESERVING DATES FOR 2022 THROUGH 2024. Events at Spertus are managed by VenueSIX10, named one of Chicago’s best by Crain’s Chicago Business. Have your event in an architectural gem! Choose from select caterers, including kosher options.
Visit VenueSIX10.com to find out more!
VENUESIX10.COM 312.322.1725 610 S MICHIGAN AVE CHICAGO
3 Amazing Employees, 62 Combined Years of Dedicated Service In December, Spertus marked the retirement of three longtime employees: Mark Akgulian, Director of Operations | 40 years at Spertus Andreas Sosnowski, Building Engineer | 13 years at Spertus Doug Peterson, Controller | 9 years at Spertus As we celebrated their many achievements, Spertus President and CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell said, “While longevity isn’t always a sign of accomplishment, we applaud Akgulian, Sosnowski, and Peterson for both their long service and the tremendous value they have brought to our institution. Much of their work took place quietly behind the scenes, but their impact has been profound.” We wish them the best as they embark on new adventures.
In Memoriam | Dr. Ellen Lasser LeVee Longtime Spertus faculty member Dr. Ellen LeVee taught courses on Contemporary Judaism, Gender and Judaism, and the Sociology of Religion. Students found her classes engaging and insightful. In addition to her work with Spertus, Dr. LeVee, who earned her PhD at University of California, Berkeley, taught at Hebrew Theological College and coordinated clinician education at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Please join us in extending condolences to her husband Gene and their children.
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See page 23
Writer/Cartoonist Ken Krimstein brings rescued stories to life.
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