HR0085 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0085 LRB094 08111 HSS 39647 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Rabbi Morris I. Esformes received a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences in 1970 from Roosevelt University; he attended Hebrew Theological College in Skokie and received his Rabbinic Ordination in 1970; he has continued his education at Roosevelt University by taking courses in social work; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Esformes is a Managing General Partner at 20 nursing homes in two states, Florida and Illinois, and at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami, Florida, at Woodland Towers in Deland, Florida, and at Park Plaza in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Esformes served as the Executive Director of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School from 1973 to 1976 and as Administrator at Birchwood Pavilion Nursing Home in Chicago from 1970 to 1973; and

WHEREAS, He served on the State of Illinois Commission on Mental Health in 1978 and on the Illinois Council for Long Term Care as Vice-President from 1977 to 1979; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Esformes has been actively involved in his community; he is a Past President of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, and a board member for Hebrew Theological College, Telshe Yeshiva, the Wisconsin Institute of Torah Study, Associated Talmud Torahs, and Hannah Sachs Girls School; he is President Emeritus of Morris Namias Hebrew Academy in New Jersey and the founder of the Chicago Community Kollel; he is on the National Board of Ben Gurion University in Israel and Torah Umsorah and the board of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies; he is a member of the Social Welfare Committee of the Jewish Federation Committee of Metropolitan Chicago, Past Vice President of Congregation Adas Yeschurum, and Past President of Cong. Adas Bnai Israel; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Esformes has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Yissacher Zevulun Award from Lakewood Yeshiva in 1980, the Founder Award of Telshe Yeshiva in 1981, and the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago Morris Esformes Scholarship Foundation; he was honored by Chicago Community Kollel, Post-Graduate School for Rabbis in 1982 and by Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in 1983; he was honored by American Friends of Ohr Somavach in 1985, by American Friends of Kerem B'Yavneh in 1985, by Lakewood Yeshiva in 1990, by Yeshiva Gedola Ateres Mordechai in 1989, by Central Yeshiva Beth Joseph in 1988, by Neve Yerushalayim in 1994, and by Yeshivas Brisk in 1998; and

WHEREAS, On Wednesday, February 9, 2005, a reception is being held to celebrate the establishment of The Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Professorship; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Rabbi Morris I. Esformes on the establishment of a professorship in his honor at the University of Chicago; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rabbi Esformes as an expression of our respect and esteem.