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Interreligious Leadership Award Honors Three Distinguished Chicagoans

June 26, 2014

The Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago (CRLMC) presented its inaugural Interreligious Leadership Award recognizing the distinguished His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, Ilene Shaw, and Rabbi Herman Schaalman in a downtown Chicago ceremony June 19.
Of the honorees, Rabbi Schaalman, who was the spoksperson of the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions, is remembered for helping to mobilize a worldwide interfaith movement rooted in Chicago.
President of the CRLMC and Parliament Board Vice-Chair Rabbi Michael Balinsky says, “Schaalman is a respected and beloved voice on the Council whose very presence and wisdom fosters an atmosphere of interreligious cooperation. He is looked to for guidance and wisdom on the issues facing our city and the role the interreligious community can play in fostering activism and healing.”
In a Chicago release, the JUF echoes this statement describing Schaalman as “one of the most respected Rabbis to serve Chicago’s Jewish community.”
According to the CRLMC, Cardinal George has served the council for 17 years, and honor Shaw recognizing her support to the Council’s educational efforts. In its report, the Council states, “Mrs. Ilene Shaw, who, under the auspices of the CRLMC, “has made possible the production of an InterFaith Calendar featuring 17 different faith traditions describing their basic tenets, beliefs and observances. The calendar is recognized nationally as an excellent vehicle to promote interfaith understanding and respect,”
To read more about the ceremony and its address by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, please read more by visiting the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.

Above Right: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel congratulates Rabbi Schaalman on his Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago’s Interreligious Leadership Award at a ceremony June 19. Schaalman was spokesperson of the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions.