SR0335 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0335 LRB098 12207 MST 46274 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Rabbi Reuven Frankel of Deerfield, who passed away on April 24, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Frankel was born in Jerusalem; his family immigrated to Chicago in 1939; after 2 years in Chicago, his family moved to New York and he studied at Brooklyn College; he spent time in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, studying and working before eventually returning to New York to study at the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Teleological Seminary; and

WHEREAS, From 1957 to 1967, Rabbi Frankel was the associate cantor at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan, while earning a bachelor's and master's degree in music from Wayne State University; after brief stops in Albany, New York, where he spent 2 years as cantor at Temple Israel, and Congregation Shaarey Zedek, he became the cantor at Congregation Beth El in Highland Park in 1970; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Frankel worked as a cantor at synagogues around the country for 2 decades, but in 1976, at the age of 45 and in his sixth year as a cantor at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, he decided to complete his rabbinical studies he had started as a youth; he studied at the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago and was ordained 2 years after making his decision to resume his studies; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Frankel joined Congregation B'nai Tikvah in 1979 as the rabbi; he retired in 1999; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Frankel interpretations of a wide variety of Yiddish, Hebrew, and liturgical music led to appearances on radio, television, and at universities as a singer and lecturer; he recorded several albums and has more than 100 songs available on iTunes; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Frankel was the beloved husband for 59 years of Penina (nee Ducoff); the loving father and mentor of Hillel (Jennifer Salas), Aaron (Jenny Wittner), and Noam (Laura Sova); the adored Zadie of Eli Blair, Caleb and Gabriel Frankel, and Lee Sova-Claypool; the cherished brother of the late Naftali (Penina) Frankel, the late Esther Davis, the late Devora Friend, and the late Yaffa Flitterman; the dear brother-in-law of the late Rabbi Bernard (Helen) Ducoff; and the grandfather of 4; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Rabbi Frankel, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Rabbi Frankel as an expression of our deepest sympathy.