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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Rabbi Dr. Peter Knobel, who passed away
4on August 20, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, For much of his career, Rabbi Knobel was the
6Senior Rabbi of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston, where
7he encouraged interaction between clergy and congregants with
8the goal of infusing Jewish meaning into the lives of
9individuals and the community; more recently, he had served as
10the Interim Senior Rabbi of Chicago's Temple Sholom, Temple
11Judea in Coral Gables, and Temple Israel of Hollywood; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In addition to his congregational
13responsibilities, Rabbi Knobel served in a variety of important
14leadership roles nationally and in the Chicago-area community;
15he was president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
16(CCAR), Chair of the Liturgy and Reform Practice Committee, and
17a member of committees on human sexuality, homosexuality and
18the rabbinate, and patrilineal descent; he served on the boards
19of both the Union for Reform Judaism and the Hebrew Union
20College-Jewish Institute of Religion; he was a member of the
21National Interreligious Leadership Initiative on Peace in the
22Middle East; he was the editor of Gates of the Seasons: A Guide
23for the Jewish New Year; locally, he served as president of The

 

 

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1Chicago Board of Rabbis and the Chicago Association of Reform
2Rabbis; he was active in the Evanston Downtown Clergy
3Association; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Rabbi Knobel will be remembered as an outstanding
5scholar and teacher; he offered a wide range of courses at The
6Spertus Institute over the past two decades and was a guiding
7light for students enrolled in masters and doctoral programs in
8Jewish Studies; he had a strong commitment to his students,
9interfaith dialogue, and professional training; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Rabbi Knobel is survived by his wife, Elaine; his
11children; and his grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
14Rabbi Dr. Peter Knobel and extend our sincere condolences to
15his family, friends, colleagues, congregants, and all who knew
16and loved him; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the family of Rabbi Knobel as an expression of our
19deepest sympathy.