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JNDC’s Summer 2024 Nature Programs: Building Park 538 into a Community Gem

(Photo above taken at Monarch Club field trip to Notebaert Museum.)

Throughout the summer of 2024, JNDC’s nature programs at Park 538 provided the community with enriching opportunities to connect with nature. From the Monarch Butterfly Club to Bird and Nature Walks, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences and enjoyed exploring the natural beauty of our neighborhood park.
The Monarch Butterfly Club offered activities where members learned about the butterfly life cycle, observed butterfly wing coloration, and searched for monarch eggs on milkweed plants. The season culminated with a group field trip to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Our Bird and Nature Walks brought the community together to observe various bird species and habitats within the park.
JNDC is proud to have offered these programs for the past four years, helping to build Park 538 into a significant community destination. These initiatives provide a fantastic way for community members to deepen their understanding of nature while enjoying outdoor spaces.
We extend our thanks to our dedicated volunteer leaders and our partner organizations, Chicago Bird Alliance and Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum, and to all who participated!

JNDC Co-Sponsors Empowerment Event for Jewish Businesswomen at The Ark

JNDC co-sponsored an event at The Ark’s new building at 6450 N. California in Chicago on Sunday, July 28, 2024, focusing on female empowerment in business. Organized by The Jewish Woman Entrepreneur, and co-sponsored by JUF Professionals Network, the event drew over 40 Orthodox Jewish businesswomen.

Suzanne Muchin, Northwestern Kellogg School of Business, delivered an inspiring talk on achieving strategic impact in high-stakes conversations. JNDC Executive Director Ellen Doppelt opened the program and highlighted JNDC’s commitment to economic vitality in the community.

JNDC’s photo exhibit, “Then and Now: 10 Decades of Jewish Community in West Rogers Park,” was on display at The Ark and drew much interest.

With huge thanks to JNDC, In Due Time Maternity Opens its First Retail Location, in Lincolnwood

Chavi Basch is thrilled to announce the opening of her retail storefront, In Due Time Maternity, at 6710 N. Crawford in Lincolnwood. “After nearly 20 years of building my business from home, I am proud to have a beautiful, remodeled storefront to better serve our amazing community. I’m excited to make shopping for maternity essentials even more accessible for everyone. A huge thank you to JNDC for helping me through this process by making connections, and supporting my journey every step of the way.”

Urban Nature Walk and Talk Brings the Community Together at Park 538

The tree-lined paths of Park 538 provided leafy beauty and welcome shade to some 20 community residents who enjoyed a special Urban Nature Walk and Talk on June 18, 2024. JNDC co-sponsored this engaging and educational event in partnership with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda, Chicago Bird Alliance, and Friends of the Chicago River. Participants learned about the local ecosystem of our beautiful park and how the MWRD supports the health of our land and waterways. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event a success!

Lincolnwood Library Celebrates “Growing Up Jewish in West Rogers Park” – Lincolnwood Mayor Patel Lauds “Critical Connection” Between Communities

Lincolnwood residents savored memories and nostalgia for West Rogers Park on April 2,when the Lincolnwood Library hosted “Growing Up Jewish in West Rogers Park,” in collaboration with Jewish Neighborhood Development Council of Chicago. The event featured a photo exhibit, “Then and Now: 10 Decades of Jewish Community in West Rogers Park,” and a documentary screening of “Driving West Rogers Park: Chicago’s Once and Future Jewish Neighborhood.”

Former Lincolnwood resident Robert Doppelt shared childhood memories of gazing east across the North Shore Channel at his grandparents’ Winston Towers’ building and longing for a shorter walk to get there. In a letter to the audience, Lincolnwood Mayor Jesal Patel, who was unable to attend the special program due to a scheduling conflict, anticipated “a new era for Thillens” and announced Village approval for an effort to install a pedestrian bridge at Pratt to eliminate the longest stretch of uncrossable river in the Chicago River System. The Mayor’s letter went on to say: “This pedestrian bridge will connect Lincolnwood’s Centennial Park to Park 538, but more importantly, it will provide a critical connection for our communities.”

JNDC President Spotlighted by Sen. Ram Villivalam for Women’s History Month

JNDC President Beverly Siegel, chosen for special recognition by State Sen. Ram Villivalam in connection with Women’s History Month, cited her volunteer work “to improve the value proposition of living in West Rogers Park” as some of the most gratifying she’s done. Having enjoyed a rewarding career as a freelance writer, public relations professional and award-winning documentary filmmaker, the life-long Chicagoan and Northside resident has been devoting her energies for the past four years to the JNDC mission of strengthening and enhancing West Rogers Park and surrounding city and suburban areas.

Some of the achievements of which she’s most proud include a growing roster of free nature programming for adults and children at Park 538, which runs along the Chicago River System between Touhy and Albion avenues, sponsored in collaboration with Chicago Audubon Society, Chicago Park District, Met. Water Reclamation District and Peggy Notebaert Museum; well-attended forums for aspiring entrepreneurs featuring successful professionals; effective advocacy for government-supported programs to assist local shopkeepers whose stores have been vandalized as well as assistance for local shopkeepers in need of storefront-improvement grants; collaboration with Lincolnwood on projects of joint interest, and raising awareness of the unique history of Jewish West Rogers Park. She finds it especially gratifying that the beneficiaries of JNDC efforts include people of all backgrounds.

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(Photo above taken at Monarch Club field trip to Notebaert Museum.)

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