Chicago, IL – Obama Mourns Passing Of His Neighbor Reform Rabbi; Calls Him A Dear Friend

Chicago, IL – The death this week of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, an influential leader of Reform Judaism, drew a response Thursday from President-elect Barack Obama, whose Hyde Park home is across the street from Wolf’s temple.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, who was not just our neighbor, but a dear friend to Michelle and me,” Obama said in a statement from Hawaii, where he and his family are vacationing.

“We are joined in this time of grief by the entire Hyde Park community, the American Jewish Community, and all those who shared Rabbi Wolf’s passion for learning and profound commitment to serving others. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Wolf, 84, died Tuesday, Dec. 23, apparently of a heart attack.

Wolf led KAM Congregation Isaiah Israel in Hyde Park, the city’s oldest Jewish congregation, from 1980 to 2000. In 1957 he helped launch Congregation Solel in Highland Park, where he remained until 1972.

Wolf was a strong supporter of Obama’s presidential campaign in the Jewish community, writing a widely circulated piece titled “My Neighbor, Barack.” Wolf called Obama “one of our own” and wrote that “it’s not neighborly instinct that’s led me to support the Obama candidacy: I support Barack Obama because he stands for what I believe, what our tradition demands.”