Rabbi Dr. Leonard Matanky on Jewish Life in Chicago, Ida Crown and More

uh here on a JM in the AM Thursday morning and we are in Chicago, Illinois and one of the rabbitic legends of Chicago, Illinois is with us live in studio. It is a pleasure to welcome Rabbi Leonard Mateni into our studio here in Chicago. He's the dean of the IDA Crown Jewish Academy. He's the rabbi of the Kins Congregation. We'll find out what that stands for in a moment. He is co-president of the RZAs and the Vata Poel of WCO and holds many many titles internationally and we are tremendous admirers of his and it is a pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AF. >> It is wonderful to be able to be here especially when you're here in Chicago. >> Yeah, it's great to be here. You have a wonderful town. How many years are you here? >> I'm a Chicago from day one >> and in a leadership role as a rabbi since [snorts] >> Good question. since a long time ago. Since 1994, I've been at K I've been at Kins, >> which stands for >> Kessus Israel Nusakard, but we dash. So, it's a little long story. [laughter] >> We were actually a merger of two synagogues. There was a shul that started in in West Rogers Park called the West Rogers Park congregation >> and it merged with a famous synagogue that was in the old Jewish neighbor called the Sparta Shashul. It's where Pinchik was the Kaz. >> Wow. And when they merged they had uh in one in the main sanctuary they ded ashkanaz like the congregation west park did and in the base major they do in the >> and now every branch of kins is ding >> now we're all >> and there are there is more than one branch because you >> right [clears throat] we have uh what we call kins main the main the main synagogue we also have a branch that is to the north about a mile north called kins north. Yeah. So, that one's in Rogers Park. Is the original one also? >> Both are in West Rogers Park. >> Wow. So, just different parts of the neighborhood. >> There's something about this town. There's something you know that the seagulls have somewhat of a history with Chicago, right? >> Not somewhat. You're the one who left town. [laughter] >> State in Chicago. >> Very good. My father might agree with you on that actually. Uh yeah, there's a strong seagull history and obviously my So, so tell me where was my grandfather's congregation? Would you know where he served as rabbi? I'm pretty sure I know but I don't want to take that chance. >> South or north in your opinion? >> It was north. >> On the north side. >> I was on the north side. I you know I remember from one of your uncles. Your uncles were as well. I remember doing >> Uncle Bar uncle. Uncle Aram. I'm sure you knew of >> uncle I knew so well. He was the one who taught me how to do aikasim. He took my arm and put it inside the animal. >> He knew his stuff. Huh. >> Oh. Was he a >> I think he drove to Wisconsin every day for >> very often. >> Yeah. Wow. Okay. So, that's the history. Uh, meanwhile, today you are uh you're dean at a very prominent high school. And I say it that way because it's got a really amazing national reputation. I'm sure you know that. >> Well, I hope so. You know, we've been around a long time. We were founded in 1942. So, >> well, it's not easy to maintain a good reputation over all that time. >> Well, it's thank God been doing very, very well. I have had the honor and the privilege to succeed some extraordinary makim principles who served with great distinction who were the top of their field and uh we continue to strive to do great things at the school. >> And is it very challenging or how should I put this are there many different challenges trying to run a Jewish school in 2026 compared to some of the prior years in your career? >> Well, I've been doing this specific role at Ida Crown for 31 years. >> Wow. And so there's no question that it's different, but it's also different on Thursday than it was than it was on Wednesday. Thank God we live in a world where things continue to change. If they didn't, it would get very boring. >> Yeah, that's true. It is ever changing. Ry Mateni is with us. We're in Chicago and talking about this amazing community. And as a as a community rabbi, look, you've seen a lot of um you have a large congregation, but you've seen at least if it if it duplicates what we've seen in the New York, New Jersey area, a lot of smaller congregations get formed. COVID comes, even smaller ones and more remote ones get established. And some of the larger congregations feel, I don't know, either challenged or being, you know, moved out of their space, so to speak. Not literally, but just in terms of how the community views them. Has that happened here? >> It's happened, but um challenge is good. So there's not a real problem. When I first became the rabbi at KS, there were eight Orthodox synagogues in West Rogers Park. Today there's 40. >> Wow. >> Now doesn't mean that all 40 are large or that the population has exploded. It's just people are looking for different things. And that's the responsibility of a community to be able to respond to what people want at the same time maintaining the boundaries to make sure that what they want and what we're supposed to do stay the same. >> When people express an interest in moving to Chicago, what's the pitch? What do you tell them that you think is, you know, going to sell them on it? >> Well, it's not New York, so start slowly. >> That that's number one, right? >> But number two on the list is it still has a small town feel. >> Yeah, we keep saying that, right? that uh in Chicago it's still surprising that you don't know somebody who's in the Jewish community even though it has grown and has expanded and has changed. And so we have that ability. We have abilities of people coming together still. And even though it continues to change, it's not unusual that segments both of the Orthodox community can come together, which may not happen in other parts of the communities, but also the broader Jewish community can come together. >> Yeah, it's got that small town feel. And there's um how do I put it there? There there it's closer I believe to the out of town experience even with its gigantic infrastructure and its incredible services for the Jewish community which which would uh you know compete with New York but it's got that I don't know just a closer feel to the out of town atmosphere. >> No we have 300,000 Jews but sometimes people think that we have you know 20,000 Jews and some farms along the way. It's an advantage and it is something very special to be able to raise a family. >> A lot of farms, by the way, when you drive here. I could say that from personal experience. >> There's a lot of land in the United States. >> Yes, there is. But it goes a lot faster when you take a plane. >> Is that a Is that a fact? Someone has to convince me. I'm much more comfortable in the car, frankly. Maybe at my size, that's the situation. Ry Leonard Mateni is with us. All right, we got to uh we got to talk about it. I think you and I actually discussed this once uh either on the air or during a podcast. Um my father was a proponent of abolishing the Zionist movement once the state of Israel was established. Okay, that was his point of view. He sort of adjusted his point of view in the mid70s with the Zionism racism thing and felt that there must be now a Zionist movement because of the challenges that we saw at the UN and another forum. Um and and now today uh I I would argue that the world MRAI movement at least to me looks like it's I don't want to say as strong as ever but has really rebounded in a very strong fashion. Agree or not? >> I completely agree. I do have to make one correction. I am the past co-president. >> The current president of the Religious Zionist of America is Pace Cooper from Memphis, Tennessee. >> Oh, we know Pace. Good man. Good man. >> So he must have just become president recently. just became president a couple of months ago. >> Well, there you go. >> Uh the the reality is religious Zionism is something that's should flow through the blood and the veins of every Jew. Every religious Jew should understand that it's who we are whether they identify with segments that are normally not pro formal state of Israel. We're all part of Erit Israel of Israel today and especially after yesterday what the >> what happened in New York City with the mayor's comments >> the need for a voice of reason and a voice that is a strong voice for the state of Israel and understanding how essential it is to the Jewish people is absolutely necessary. So religious Zionism is something that I believe has really strengthened under the world leadership of Don Perez, Rabbi Don Perez. It has reborn has been reborn around the world and in the United States. We hope to see even greater strength as well. >> You know, I I'm sure you had the same experience when Ravon came into this role. I was in his office within I don't know two three weeks of when he assumed the position and I sat there and he saw it because look with the house that I grew up in you know we had opinions regarding the Zionist movement and the formal organizations that were doing what you just described and he was looking at me like you don't think this thing has a chance you know and I said look what can I tell you you know I've seen I've seen this thing go completely out of control and be at at points you know not not a not and at points be a a notworthwization. I I'm sorry amusing such a strong term and he accepted that and and understood where I was coming from. Obviously, he had heard it before and of course he gets the last laugh because of what he's built and the organization that has that has really, you know, now played such a prominent role. Am I right that at the beginning you walked in with a drop of skepticism or not? >> Well, I wasn't skeptical. I was hopeful but you are correct in terms of describing that situation before he assumed that role and now things are exploding for the good >> and everywhere around the world I mean his impact is not only obviously in Israel and the United States but Australia Great Britain I mean there's there's an impact everywhere >> everywhere everywhere and it's something that was under the surface waiting to come out people were looking for the outlet and I believe the same thing is true in the United States >> what type of programming did you have yesterday in school did you go out your way to make sure that every student knew what the day was or you approached it differently. >> I don't think we had to make sure that every student knew what it was because every student knows what it is. I'm dealing with high school students >> and it's only three years. They live through >> and it's only three years and the current senior class remembers that the senior class on October 7th, we sent them to Israel for a month to volunteer in Israel. >> Wow. >> We just made it happen so that they could go. So, >> how many kids is there? >> Well, we sent we ended up sending about 40 children to Israel. There were some children who couldn't go because of medical reasons. Some parents were concerned, but >> I'm glad you have 40 sets of parents who endorsed your plan. >> It all came together. There were funders who were able to make it happen and there was everything happened the right way because that's who we are. That's what our Jewish community is all about. Um yesterday we began with a very simple piece. We had three of our members of the faculty who have served in the Israeli army recite tim. And then after that we had lessons for the younger children for the 9th and 10th graders. The 11th and 12th graders saw that extraordinary documentary that recently came out my beloved son and then we went back into school. >> Oh boy, I'll tell you unbelievable. And obviously co nude zionism is not just a one, two or three day uh affair at your school. It's something that's woven through the entire year. I'm sure >> we are very very proud of the fact that uh over 90% of our students spend at least a year in Israel. Probably today it's between 15 and 20% make aliyah after that year in Israel. We're proud that it's just part of who we are. You walk into the building and you see it. And it's true. We started before the state of Israel. We were 1942. I often joke that I think we are one of the only Jewish schools that can proudly say we had a Palestine club. >> That's funny. Uh Roy Matenki is here with us live in studio in Chicago. I I get this impression uh all through my life that the Midwest part of the United States has great Zionist tendencies, not only in Chicago, but some other cities in the Midwest as well. Is that just a coincidence that there happen to be schools in these areas or do you think there's something about that? I think there's something about the fact that the Midwest is much more conservative with a lowercase C. And as a result, the values that we have aren't the extremes of the East and the West Coast. And so you'll find these kinds of values that have already always been core to our identity here in Chicago, in Cleveland, in Memphis, Milwaukee, etc. >> It's funny. As you say this, I'm thinking of Warren Buffett's famous thing that he wants to stay in Nebraska to stay away from the craziness of the two coasts. In a way, you get the advantage of doing that. You're in the middle of the country. You probably see people Oh, yesterday I saw people in shield, you know, again, like me traveling through. It's it's a central point of the United States. Uh Chicago, you know, I I don't know. Is Chicago officially the uh the um the entrance to the Western Park? What city do we always say that about? Or St. Louis? One of those. >> St. Louis was the gateway. >> Gateway to the West. Thank you. But Chicago was the slaughter house for the for the country. >> But a lot of transplants in west of Chicago. Phoenix is a big Chicago contingent, right? Aren't there a lot of people? >> Well, we like to think that everything good in this world began in Chicago, so it's all right. >> All right. You might be right about that, right? Meni is with us, everybody. Um, all right. You said you grew up here in Chicago, so you're a lifer. How many kosher restaurants when you were a kid? [laughter] Because I I hear there's more now. >> When I was a kid, there were two. There was one downtown. You remember from here? There were two was gulas and seagulls. >> Not related. Not related. >> Not at all related. And I um remember and then I remember the times where there were none and now there are thank God some kosher restaurants the necessary pizza shop that you have to have in every Jewish community. >> Correct. A roof. >> And a >> is that what they say? It used to be cemetery and what was the other thing? Cemetery and synagogue. Now it's a pizza shop. >> All all of those things together. You actually where you're sitting right now. you're almost at the boundary, the northern boundary of the Chicago AU that we built. It's uh it's an extraordinary experience to see all of the services, not just for the general Jewish community, but especially within the observant Jewish community. >> When did the kidic and I don't mean Kabad, I'm talking about the um other groups because Kabad's everywhere, you know, it's not it's not, you know, it's not a foreign concept they would be in Chicago. When did the kidic community of Chicago start to grow? Well, it began really in a serious way after the war. Now, there's number of histories. There's a number of histories of Chicago, but when the viten came from Europe from the camps after the war, he established the bulkhead and he was a major presence. Rabbi Misels, Rabbi Svisels was a major presence in Chicago. To the credit of that family, his son-in-law, Rabbi Younger, founded the Vitzer, which now occupies actually the former building of Idocr Jewish Academy. And so things continued to grow over the years. I remember growing up, if you saw someone with a Shrimal, their last name was Misels. >> They had to be related. >> They had to be related. Nowadays, there are of all different branches. There are modern Orthodox Jews. There are Jews of every flavor within the city of Chicago and it's what makes Chicago special. >> How would you describe your stint as the leader of the Rabbitical Council of America? >> Exciting. Um, >> how many years ago was that? >> About 12 years ago already. But during that time, there were some major uh issues that were raised within the American Jewish Reabinet, some crises that we faced. And at the same time, it was during that time that we were able to finalize the new RCA sitter that that came out. Uh, a new Madri came out not much longer after that. >> Really? >> For rabbis. >> I didn't even know that. >> Oh, yes. >> I thought there was only one and that was the one that people like my father used. >> The one that your father used was written by Hyman Golden and Rabbi Schmool Golden. And I did the new >> Anglewood, New Jersey. >> Now you right. >> So the two of you are responsible for a new Hamadra. >> The new mad the new Hamadra. And for those who don't know, it's basically the the text, the guide for rabbis to take care of every type of situation, uh, life events, etc. >> I'll have to get you one though. It's published by Corin. It's, uh, I think it's a very good work. >> I appreciate that very much, and I'm sure it is. Um, and so this is back in 2014ish, right? 1314 in that area. So, can you give me one example of of a significant, I don't know, news item we may remember or something where the rabbit had really had to get involved? Um well some of the news items we were dealing with unfortunately were some challenges of reubinic scandals. >> Oh boy. >> Okay. And without mentioning anything more some people may remember and um I believe >> that must be a killer for an organization like yours. >> It was very painful. Very painful because when people don't behave the way we expect them to behave and >> in such an extreme fashion. >> Yes. And so I am very proud of the Rabbitical Council of America for the way we took both action and tried to do everything we could and I believe we did do things to help heal. How different do you think the RCA is today than I don't know 30 years ago? Like how you wonder, you know, as you know, today, especially in the United States, the general congregations, the people are much more educated, have, you know, even greater roles when it comes to the religious life of the synagogue, etc., etc. Is the RCA, and that has changed, and it's it's certainly had its impact on recent American Jewish history. Does the is the RCA much different than it was I don't know 40 50 years ago for similar reasons. >> Um I I believe that where the RCA is changing and have had some significant changes for example under our new CEO Rabbi Manakim Penner we have provided greater and greater levels of services to rabbis we're becoming a stronger voice. I think we're working more toward strengthening rabbis than always being concerned to be the voice of Orthodox Judaism. There was always that tension between do you make a statement or do you do the thing? And we're doing so many things. There's support services for rabbi for rabbis from everything from mental health to financial support and everything in between. And on a regular basis, I see rabbis interacting with RCA like they've never done before. >> There are a lot of very complicated situations that rabbis have in their congregations these days. An understatement. >> Uh, no, not at all. Not at all. the I, as some people like to remind me, I've been doing this a long time, so I'm a little bit more senior in the role, and often I have younger rabbis turning to me to see what they think I should they should be doing. >> Right. >> Just yesterday, a younger rabbi from another community reached out to me with a complicated situation of a bar mitzvah with parents who had divorced. and how believe it or not how you divide up the number of aliot to the Torah and Shabbat and what happens if one feels that the other is right and the other is wrong and how what role should the rabbi take it's a small thing and it's nothing do you ever learn in >> I'm not minimizing that situation it's uh and again grew up in an rabbitic family I get it but today transgender issues parents who you know might be married to mar in marriages that we don't recognize and now they have kids in your day school. Well, yours is a high school, but you what I'm saying, you know, in your synagogue day school. I mean, these are really, really complicated questions. Those are, but I think the ones that are even more complicated within the Orthodox world are the issues of addiction and the issues of family. >> Wow. >> Uh the growth unfortunately of uh gambling addictions in our community. Do >> you see this? People come to you with these? >> Yes. I I think all rabbis will see this. Sometimes it's um not the younger rabbis because sometimes you need a person with a gray beard to be able to confide in, >> but the gambling addictions, the addictions to alcohol, the familial issues that are taking place that are truly uh heartbreaking >> and frightening >> and frightening. >> And you think of what some of the kids in the community, not just yours, but all around the country are going through, the lives that they're trying to live as all this craziness is going on. It's uh >> No, I'm very grateful. I tell I tell younger parents that I'm very grateful I raised my children in a different time >> and I don't know what I would do if I had children at this point. I have a feeling my parents said the same thing and my grandparents probably said the same. >> That's true. Um well finally um as I once said to Rabbi Wine a Chicago course who I'm sure you knew >> who was an alum of Ida Crown >> is he a class of 1950. Of course >> was he was he book editor? [laughter] Uh no he wasn't your book editor but >> he should have been no >> I think one of the one of the small >> did he speaking graduation >> well one of the small fun facts is he was kusa with rabbi zelik fasman the founder of the first lakewood community kal he founded the lakewood community kal in Los Angeles so [snorts] from Ida crown we have alumni who included raaran liarion everyone knows about rabnosfinkle from barrel wine and many many others but what's really exciting is I know in the future we're going to have alumni who will also achieve great things. >> You know what we pointed out yesterday by the way that um for some reason IDA Crown always overperforms at the Sarichek basketball tournament. >> Why is that? Thank you. Why do they always do better than people think they will? >> Well, I want to start out with the underdog of the Wittenberg tournament. The wrestling wrestling >> that is on a their repeat of the championship already again next year. So, >> what month is that? When does that happen? That happens also in the spring in that same time and um they won three years in a row. >> They get the shout out this morning. >> That's it. They get the shout out. >> But I said to her by wine and I'll ask you the same question. How do you how do you reconcile the fact that the White Socks won the World Series before the Cubs? How do you reconcile the Southsiders came through 10 years before the Northsiders? >> It's actually a great Soon from Akora. We're really not sure, [laughter] but um >> are there are there Jewish White Sox fans or not? Definitely Jewish white sex, >> but not not nearly as many like the Cubs, right? >> The the Cubs are actually the perfect example of faith. And so we can learn the idea of faith from the Cubs. We keep on believing next year it'll come. Just like Yushim is going to be rebuilt >> and one time we win. But the reality is I think it's north side versus southside. But I I do have a grandson who is a very strong Socks fan. So, he must be happy. They're doing very well right now. >> Uh, he is right now in Yeshiva in Israel. And I'm sure he's very happy staying up late at night to make sure he watches some of those games. >> And you're telling us that in the old days, the Jewish community was on the south side. That's where it was. >> No, we were we were on the west side and from the west side where we began, then the south side was the German Jewish community. West side is where the German Jews sent the Polish and Eastern European Jews to live when they came afterwards. Then there were two migrations north and south. The primary was north. >> And is there any uh >> west side? There is nothing today. >> What about south? Any >> southside? There's there >> is some there's a shul still. There are two synagogues on the south side. Not orthodox synagogues on the south side and there's a shabas minion at the University of Chicago on the south side. >> It's amazing. So everything's basically here. It's all on the north side. >> It's you know the Jews are everywhere but in terms of observant Jews uh we're on the north side. >> All right. Unbelievable. Well, can't thank you enough. Uh, the school year has just begun. So, I hope it's a very successful 5787 with all your pursuits, the sh the school, the you you told me off the air, I don't think you'll mind if we announce it here, that you you you have a May I announce it or not? >> Well, I think we're we're continuing growth for KS. Yes. No, >> but we should point out that there's already a second shel under your umbrella. >> That's and that I'm very proud of the fact that normally what you hear about are breakaways. >> Correct. And here we were able to create a situation where people were proud to be part of an organization even as it expands in additional locations. >> So you establish a second location and they did not separate from you. There's >> they didn't Well, we're one organization. We have there are three rabbis. We refer to ourselves as the rabbitic team. We meet regularly and we rotate where we're located. >> So this week is bracious. When's the next week you'll be at the second kins? >> Uh it's actually not for a couple of weeks because next week we have scholars and residents. Yep. >> So there's no chance you're coming to the Noah Kesish or my granddaughter. Not a chance. >> I apologize. [laughter] I have a bar mitzvah. This job is of twins at the at the main shel. >> Oh, I hear a busy man. >> Not as busy as you are. I don't have that. >> I don't take my job on the road with >> I hear that, but I'm generally stationary. You seem to be on the move the entire time. Um, so thank you, Hatah Haraban. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. It is my pleasure and it is great to see all of the single branches back in Chicago. Thank you very much, Rabbi Leonard Mateni. Everybody, rabbitic legend here in Chicago on a Thursday morning broadcast at JM and the AM