Client Success | High Holiday Celebrations | Chicago Jewish History | Board of Directors
News from The Ark: October 2025
News from The Ark:
October 2025
Ellen’s Story: “The Ark Met Me with Dignity”
For much of her life, Ellen felt the quiet burden of being unseen and unsupported during difficult times.
“You never know what someone’s been through,” she shares. “When I was struggling, it didn’t always feel like anyone was there for me.”
That changed when Ellen came to The Ark. Here, she found more than just food and housing assistance. She discovered compassion and dignity.
“The Ark gave me the space to breathe, regain my confidence, and become self-reliant again,” Ellen says with warmth and gratitude.
What Ellen cherishes most is The Ark’s unwavering commitment to serving every Jew, regardless of background, observance, or denomination.
“To me, Jews are one people,” she explains firmly. “And The Ark lives that truth. It doesn’t matter who you are or how you practice. If you need help, The Ark is there.” - Ellen Baren, Former Client of The Ark
This inclusive spirit resonates deeply with Ellen. In her own life, she strives to live that same truth, embracing all Jews as one community, united in kindness and care.
Today, Ellen’s life looks very different. She feels more connected in her community, and she is thriving in her career as a licensed Realtor. She volunteers regularly and advocates for inclusivity and mental health awareness and was awarded the 1998 Shirley and Hilton Leibow Award in recognition of service to individuals with developmental challenges from Jewish Council for Youth Services. Ellen uses her own experience of finding hope and resilience to inspire others facing challenges.
Ellen’s story is a powerful reminder of what The Ark makes possible. No one in our community should face hardships alone. New beginnings are always within reach with dignity and care.
Ellen has been a successful realtor for over 20 years, and she credits the support she received from The Ark as one of the reasons she was able to regain stability and move forward.
The Ark is here for anyone in our community facing life’s challenges, like Ellen and thousands of others. Support from across Chicagoland makes The Ark’s vital work possible every day.
Please consider joining us with a gift to bring hope and empowerment to more Jews like Ellen and strengthen our entire community. One community, one people.
Bringing Joy During the High Holiday Season
Volunteers at The Ark's Rosh Hashanah Café.
Each year, The Ark welcomes clients to High Holiday programs that share warmth, connection, and celebration across our community.
Thanks to the helping hands of 19 volunteers, we hosted Rosh Hashanah Café, an evening filled with special foods, music, and tradition. Clients were welcomed to a beautifully set table and a festive atmosphere and enjoyed a delicious holiday meal complete with the crowd-favorite, brisket.
Rabbi Shaya Hauptman led a meaningful moment of reflection, shared the key elements of the meal, guided guests through blessings, and blew the shofar. The musical entertainment, featuring a live performance by Jeff Winter, added a heartfelt and uplifting energy to the evening.
Each guest left with a holiday gift bag that included challah, apples, honey, and other treats. These were thoughtfully prepared and distributed by dedicated volunteers, helping clients celebrate the New Year at home with dignity and joy. Clients expressed their gratitude for the warm meal, the kindness shown by The Ark’s team, and the chance to celebrate Rosh Hashanah as part of a caring community.
“Programs like Café Ark offer our clients more than a meal, they offer connection, dignity, and a sense of belonging during the holidays,” said Jenny Mann Evans, Chief Program Officer at The Ark. “The Rosh Hashanah Café reflected the heart of The Ark, welcoming everyone to share in the joy and renewal that the New Year brings.”
The celebrations continued with a Sukkot gathering in the sukkah on The Ark’s Outdoor Terrace.
Staff and volunteers worked together to create a beautiful setting where clients shared a catered lunch, participated in an art activity, and fulfilled the mitzvah of shaking the lulav and etrog. We were honored that our local partners from the Chicago Police Department, Officers Roger Heath and Mike Specht, volunteered to serve meals.
This year’s Sukkot celebration also featured live violin music from The Ark’s Grants Manager, Dana DeBofsky, who described the experience as deeply meaningful. “Getting to play traditional Jewish music on my violin during the holiday festivities, especially for those who may not often get the chance to hear live music, was truly special,” Dana recounts.
It’s not too late to make your High Holiday gift to The Ark to support spiritual enrichment programs and all of The Ark’s year-round programs and services for our community. Please consider joining us with a gift today and help The Ark nurture both body and spirit.
Chicago Jewish Historical Society & The Ark Present: Conversations from The Ark’s History
Join us on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at The Ark in West Rogers Park for a special afternoon of learning and storytelling from 1:30 - 4:00 PM. Facilitated by our partners at Chicago Jewish Historical Society, this event will explore The Ark’s unique history and lasting impact over the past five decades through engaging conversations with community members and local historians.
Guests will also have the opportunity to learn more about the vital work The Ark continues today and tour our new state-of-the-art facility, including The Market, our grocery-style kosher food pantry, and our fully-equipped dental clinic.
Updates from Our Board of Directors
We are pleased to announce Len Rubin as the newly appointed Chair of The Ark’s Board of Directors. Partner and Founder of MCR Performance Solutions, a Northbrook-based consulting firm, Len has served on the Board of Directors since 2022. From 2023-2024, he led the development of The Ark’s comprehensive strategic plan, offering his expertise in finance, consulting, and risk management. Len holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and together with his wife, he is involved in Jewish life as proud members of Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, Am Shalom in Glencoe, and the L’Chaim Center where he serves on their board. Len is dedicated to strengthening The Ark’s mission of empowering Chicagoland’s Jewish community.
We warmly welcome Lev Katz as a new member of The Ark’s Board of Directors. With nearly two decades of experience at Dell Technologies, Lev currently serves as the Vice President of Sales for the Infrastructure Solutions group, where he leads a team solving the most complex information technologies challenges for the United States Government. A graduate of Boston University and Maimonides School, the oldest and largest Jewish day school in the Greater Boston area, Lev brings both professional expertise and deep Jewish roots to his work with The Ark. He is committed to uplifting Chicagoland’s Jewish community and to advancing The Ark’s vital role in serving those in need. Lev serves on the boards of Congregation KINS of West Rogers Park, Hillel Torah Northern Suburban Day School, and is the current President of Camp Moshava of Wild Rose Wisconsin. He and his wife, Orah, are dedicated members of the greater Chicagoland community and are proud parents of four children.
Thank you to Steven Handmaker, Immediate Past Chair, for his commitment to The Ark as President of the Board of Directors from 2023-2025, leading our organization through a time of transformation in our new West Rogers Park home and the initial stages of implementing the 4-year strategic plan.
Thank you to all of our Board leaders and members for their dedication to The Ark. See the full list of Board officers, Board members, and Trustees.
Are You Looking for Ways to Get Involved?
- Bring a group to volunteer at our Pantry Warehouse in Lincolnwood. We have weekday, daytime shifts available for corporate, nonprofit, social, or family groups of adults to help unload and sort donations from the High Holiday Collection Drive.
- Schedule a tour of our West Rogers Park or Northbrook locations for a first-hand understanding of how The Ark provides support to address needs in our local Jewish Community.
- Make a connection between your company or organization and The Ark for an informational program or service project.
- Start a Pack the Pantry collection drive for our West Rogers Park and Northbrook pantries. Challenge your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to help you collect 180 of any one item from our pantry list.
- To learn more click here to volunteer.
Make a Difference in Our Community
Every gift to The Ark ensures that those facing hardship find a safety net and lifeline of support.
Explore Career Opportunities!
Learn More About The Ark
Food Assistance and Pantry
We Are Here to Help
Refer a loved one or someone you know to The Ark for support from experienced case managers who create individualized plans using The Ark’s wide array of free services.
Call 773-973-1000 or visit arkchicago.org.
The Ark is a vibrant hub of vital human services, empowered by Jewish values, that lifts and strengthens the Jewish community.
Community-funded. A partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community.
