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Dec

7

Jewish history of Obama home in Chicago


From the Chicago Jewish News:

A minor connection involved the fact that the Obamas’ house, located on the South Side of Chicago at 5046 S. Greenwood Avenue, is located across the street from KAM-Isaiah Israel Congregation, Chicago’s oldest Jewish congregation. The Secret Service agents guarding the house use the facilities at the temple. Greenwood is barricaded at both 51st Street and 50th Street and only residents and temple members are allowed to pass through. Temple members have to identify themselves to the Secret Service agents who then call the temple to verify that the visitors are legitimately there and have temple business.

But research shows a far more significant connection between the Obama house and the Jewish community.

Indeed, the title history of the Obama house shows it has a rich Jewish history, one that encompasses both of Chicago’s rival communities, the Reform Hyde Park German Jews and the Orthodox West Side Russian Jews.

…

It is fitting indeed that the Chicago home of President-elect Obama, who has worked hard to bridge the differences among us, has served as a residence to Christians and Jews, native-born and immigrants, as well as a base for both Jewish and Christian organizations. We Jews might even say it was beshert.

Read the full article for the many details of how the home was once a yeshiva, among other things.

Hattip Rabbi Jason Miller.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:22 am December 7th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Jewish 

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