Tribute Illuminates Rahm Emanuel's Upbringing

When the Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago (BJE) decided to give an award for instilling values in children at home, it did not have to think long about who the first recipients should be. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave his parents, Dr. Benjamin and Marsha Emanuel of Wilmette, the organization’s first ever L’dor V’dor Award feting the educational efforts of parents at home at the Northbrook-based organization's annual honors event Sunday in Wheeling. 

Emanuel first learned political, social and family values at his parents’ dinner table growing up in Wilmette. As he gave his mother and father the prize named for the Hebrew words meaning from generation to generation, he made an admission to the crowd of more than 200 people. 

“Everything I swore I would never do as a parent I now do as a parent,” Emanuel said. Then he left early. “I’m going home to have dinner with my children,” he added, exemplifying the significance of the award. 

Marsha Emanuel cast more light on the subject when she and her husband thanked the BJE for the honor. 

“He said he (Mayor Emanuel) would never put his children’s report cards on the refrigerator,” she said, referring to the practice she and her husband had when grades came out. “Then when we visited him in Washington and there they were.” 

More than a display of report cards, the senior Emanuels taught their children to question authority while respecting it. Marsha Emanuel wanted her children to learn the pain of those less fortunate. 

“We learned to respect authority and never accept it without being willing to challenge what is given to you,” Mayor Emanuel said. The Emanuels made sure that questioning began at home. 

“We never went out on Friday nights,” Dr. Emanuel said. “We spent Friday night at home. We let them (Mayor Emanuel, his two brothers and their sister) criticize what we did wrong as parents. They were the judges and we were the victims.” 

BJE President Judy Jury of Round Lake explained that the award was introduced to recognize the importance of education in the home and the significance of parents' efforts. 

“The home component of education is just as important as school,” Jury said. “We started this award to honor people who teach and pass on Jewish values at home.” 

Brad Schneider, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 10th Congressional District seat, said seeing Rahm Emanuel's relationship with his parents gave him a better understanding of how Mayor Emanuel achieved a seat in Congress from 2002 to 2008 before becoming chief of staff to President Barack Obama. 

“Values are conveyed with tradition and tradition starts at home,” Schneider said. “When you have strong traditions at home you develop not only values but a strong identity. That’s how Rahm Emanuel was able to venture out in the world and achieve what he did.” 

BJE Director of Education Rolly Cohen of Highland Park felt giving the initial award to the Emanuels was a matter of course. She attributes the success of all the Emanuel children to their upbringing. 

“They taught their children to incorporate Jewish values in everything they do,” Cohen said. “They taught them to be a mensches,” she added, using a word she described as the highest compliment one person can pay to another. 

Both of Rahm Emanuel's parents set an example of civic behavior for their son. Dr. Emanuel gave free polio vaccine to Chicago school children in 1955, when the medicine was first discovered, according to Marsha Emanuel. A few years later she helped bring an open housing policy to Chicago while working with the Congress of Racial Equality. 

Anita Silvert of Northbrook, both a teacher and student herself, said she makes it a point to teach religious values to her children. “When you make Jewish tradition the fabric of your home your kids will see the world through their Jewish eyes,” she said. 

For Silvert the highlight of the evening was when her mentor in an adult education class, Jane Shapiro of Skokie, was given the BJE’s Rambam Award for her outstanding contributions to adult education.