Joint meeting of Chicago Jewish Historical Society and Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois features talk by Neal Samors, author of ‘Memories of Growing Up in Chicago: Recalling Life During the 20th Century’
Neal Samors, an author, co-author and publisher of more than 30 books about Chicago, will talk about his latest work, “Memories of Growing Up in Chicago: Recalling Life During the 20th Century,” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, at Northbrook’s Temple Beth-El. His presentation is co-sponsored by the Chicago Jewish Historical Society (CJHS) and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois (JGSI).
Samors will be speaking in person at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, and his talk will be available online via Zoom for those who register to attend remotely.
For more information and to register, go to jgsi.org/event-5614274.
Samors’ latest work, on which he collaborated with Thomas O’Gorman and Christopher Lynch, pays tribute to neighborhoods in every section of Chicago. It also includes reflections on growing up in adjoining suburbs, such as Skokie, Evanston and Park Ridge.
The first-person voices in “Memories” are those of dozens of native Chicagoans, at least a third of whom are Jewish — Jo Baskin Minow, Shelley Berman, Richard Elrod, Sheldon Patinkin, Walter Jacobson and Joel Weisman, among them. Other lesser-known Jewish contributors share stories of growing up in Humboldt Park, Avondale and South Shore.
Samors said that he has been collecting the stories of Chicagoans for more than a quarter of a century, and that he was fortunate, over this time, to acquire first-person accounts of former public officials, including Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan, the late Illinois Gov. James Thompson, United States Senator and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, all of whom grew up in and around Chicago. Samors said he was able to interview Clinton, thanks to a personal congressional connection: He and United States Rep. Jan Schakowsky attended Chicago’s Sullivan High School together.
The book opens with Samors’ own boyhood experiences in Chicago’s East Rogers Park. Historic black-and-white photos of Chicago neighborhoods are featured throughout the coffee table-size book, which has been published by Samors’ publishing house, Chicago’s Books Press, and which is available as a print-on-demand publication in soft cover and hardcover at Amazon.com.
The joint June 30 CJHS-JGSI hybrid event is free for members of either of these organizations and guests. Those who cannot attend in person will be able to register to receive a Zoom link to view the program. Following his talk, Samors will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase. Attendees can also schmooze with him during a refreshment hour, which will feature coffee, tea and kosher pastries.
Prior to the 2 p.m. lecture, beginning at 12:30 p.m., the JGSI will offer assistance to those interested in tracing their Jewish roots. The JGSI will have available for perusing genealogy library materials, including its collection of maps. People may seek help with family history websites or ask genealogical questions at the JGSI expert volunteer help desk. Walk-ins are welcome; however, registration is strongly encouraged.
For information on the JGSI, go to jgsi.org or call (312) 666-0100