HR0665

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


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

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

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


 






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the Ohev Sholom congregation of York, Pennsylvania for 8 years; 
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and

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

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

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

 
 


 






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