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On the northwest side of Chicago, my old Jewish neighborhood may soon live on in infamy

JL;DR SUMMARY Ron Grossman reflects on his upbringing in Albany Park, Chicago, a neighborhood with a rich Jewish past now marked by diverse ethnicities and changing identities. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryChicagoJewish HeritageEthnic DiversityPersonal MemoirElias RodriguezAlbany ParkCommunal ChangeRon Grossman

Places mentioned

Chicago, Illinois, United States
"I grew up in Albany Park, a few blocks from where, according to law enforcement, Elias Rodriguez left Chicago on May 21 with a .9 caliber pistol in his checked luggage."
Washington, D.C., Washington DC, United States
"After he arrived in Washington, DC, witnesses say he shot to death two people attending a social event at the Capital Jewish Museum."
Illinois, United States
"Kids play ping-pong in the Max Straus Jewish Community Center in Albany Park."
Northfield, Minnesota, United States
"As a history professor, I was hired by St. Olaf College."
Lake Forest, Illinois, United States
"I finished my academic career at Lake Forest College."

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Cairo Item ID 52865
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2025-05-31 05:31:01 UTC
Curated 2025-05-31 08:31:05 UTC