Community Builder

Benjamin Eli Rosen was born on December 11, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, to Nathan and Sylvia Rosen. He grew up in Rogers Park, the son of a tailor and a schoolteacher who instilled in him the conviction that a person's worth is measured not by what they accumulate, but by what they contribute. Ben took that lesson seriously for his entire life. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois in 1969 and a law degree from Northwestern University in 1972. He practiced civil rights and employment law for over three decades, taking on cases that others turned away and charging fees that reflected what clients could actually afford. His colleagues called him principled. His clients called him a lifeline. Ben was a founding board member of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, a longtime supporter of the Chicago Jewish Federation, and a dedicated volunteer with the Ark, a social service agency serving Chicago's Jewish community. He served as president of Congregation Solel in Highland Park for two terms and helped lead a capital campaign that funded the synagogue's expanded youth education center. He married Carol Ann Levine in 1973, and together they raised two children in Evanston. Ben coached Little League for twelve years, organized a neighborhood food drive every Thanksgiving, and was the person his friends called when they needed someone to think clearly in a crisis. He was funny, direct, and constitutionally incapable of walking past a problem he could help solve. Benjamin Eli Rosen passed away on July 28, 2026, at the age of 78. He leaves behind a community that is measurably better for his presence in it. May his memory be a blessing.

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