Ask Kevin Glassberg why he volunteers at Am Shalom and he’ll probably tell you it seemed like a natural thing to do, and that it’s a reflection of his parents.
Long before Kevin was serving on committees, volunteering in classrooms, or giving his time to the community, he was just another kid sitting in a fourth grade classroom at Am Shalom. While the names of some of our childhood teachers fade with time, for many of us there are those who leave a lasting imprint. For Kevin, one of those teachers was Mrs. Bright.
“I was fortunate,” Kevin told me. “There were a series of wonderful teachers while I was growing up. They made a big impact.”
Kevin grew up, became a bar mitzvah at Am Shalom, and pulled Rabbi Kudan out of retirement to officiate his wedding. After vowing to never move back to the North Shore, life had other plans. He moved to Highland Park, started a family, and became the primary caregiver for his children while his wife pursued her career. As a stay-at-home dad, he threw himself into their schools, volunteering on PTOs, helping wherever he could, and becoming an active part of their education.
When his children began attending Am Shalom’s religious school, an opportunity presented itself. Kevin volunteered as a classroom assistant, eventually making his way back to Mrs. Bright’s fourth-grade classroom.
The same teacher who had inspired him years earlier was now teaching his children, and Kevin found himself standing beside her, helping a new generation of students discover what had meant so much to him.
If the story ended there, it would already feel like life coming full circle. But it doesn’t.
Both of Kevin’s children went through Am Shalom’s religious school, were confirmed, and later returned as madrichol (teen classroom leaders). In an even more remarkable twist, one of his children volunteered in Mrs. Bright’s classroom, just like their father!
“It’s a lovely, overlapping, cyclical thing. It’s very Jewish.”
Kevin smiled as he described Jewish time not as a circle, but as a spiral. At Am Shalom, one generation teaches the next; they eventually return to teach those who follow.
Listening to Kevin, it struck me that this is how communities endure. Aside from the building and traditions, community is built through inspiration and connection. That’s one of Am Shalom’s greatest gifts, inspiring incredible individuals like Kevin to come home and help shape the next generation.
In addition to volunteering at Am Shalom, Kevin has volunteered with the PTO, serves on the Board of Focus on the Arts at Highland Park High School, and recently became a docent at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
One of the things I love most about this story is that Kevin credited his parents for inspiring him to volunteer. Ask his children why they volunteer, and they will say the same thing.
By Ron Krit, Am Shalom Board Member
