Some years back Sam Harris and Ned Schechter shared their “why” at our Tuesday Meeting- here is the take away...
It’s always great to hear our fellow Rotarians share their personal stories. Last Tuesday we had the opportunity to hear from two of our club members, a 54 -year member, Sam Harris and a more recent one, Ned Schechter a 3 year one. Two very different stories, from visionaries with this interesting thing in common (besides Rotary) both happened to attend Grinnell Collage!
Here is my favorite take-away from the program – and although it applies to both speakers – it’s a Sam Harris quote.
“I stuck my neck out. When you want to do something, you stick your neck out, then you gotta do it.”
Sam Harris shared his life story. He has had an incredible life, one of challenge and inspiration. It may not have been evident, but Sam living is the result of this ‘stick your neck out’ lesson.
The youngest of seven children, Sam shared his vivid memories of being a four year old experiencing the beginning of WWII in his native Poland. He remembered the Nazi airplanes flying overhead shooting down the Polish planes and people. A couple of years later, Sam was saved by his father who in an act of heartbreaking bravery, pushed him to hide with his sister behind a pile of bricks. He was taken to a concentration camp and Sam never saw him again.
This was not the last time Sam’s life was saved. A stranger ‘stuck his neck out’ to save Sam and a few other children from certain death at the camps. When the Nazi’s were separating the adults from the children, planning to shoot the children who were too young to work, a father who had received a letter from the Nazi’s to keep his own daughter with him, demanded to take all five of the children. This man told the soldiers “all or nothing” saving the four children which included Sam.
These children were brought into the camp giving hope to the adults there. They ‘cried tears of joy’ having not seen Jewish children in years, hugging and kissing Sam, something he will never forget.
After the war, and after moving around a bit, Sam found himself on the ship called Ernie Pyle headed to the USA, where after landing in New York City, then to Chicago by train, Sam was adopted by a family in Northbrook on April 10, 1948 on Hickory Lane where he excelled in school, joined scouts and graduated from college and on to a career in insurance.
In the late 1970s when he started sharing his account of the Holocaust, it came to his attention that there was a book by a Holocaust denier. Sam felt he must ‘stick his neck out’ so no one would forget. With the support and encouragement of his wife, Dede, his Rabbi, and the help from many of his Rotary connections Sam was on the path to spearheading the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
He ‘stuck his neck out’ going for advice and funding from the likes of people such as J.B. Pritzker founding a place that would be “A beacon of hope where we, our children and grandchildren will learn from the past and make sure that this or any kind of Holocaust does not happen in the future.”
One and a half million children were killed in the holocaust. Sam was a witness to the holocaust and didn’t just survive, he has made sure none of us ever forget.
Like Sam, we must all remember “When you want to do something, you stick your neck out, then you gotta do it.”
SAMUEL R. HARRIS BIO
EARLY YEARS:
Samuel R. Harris was four years old in 1939 when Hitler overran the town in which he lived, Demblin, Poland. Hitler destroyed Mr. Harris’ large family. He spent three and a half years in two concentration camps: Demblin and Czestochowa. At age nine and a half, he was miraculously liberated by the Russian Army on January 17, 1945.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE:
Sam Harris is a 1958 graduate of Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He joined the Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1960 and became a member of the exclusive Equitable Hall of Fame. Sam served on the Chicago Board of Life Underwriters and President of the General Agency Managers Association. As an agent, he became a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:
Sam Harris has been very active in community and scholastic affairs. He is a former board member of Spertus College of Judaica. He served on the Board of Directors for Forest Hospital. He is currently on the Board of Directors of South-Central Bank in Chicago. Sam Harris has been a member (and former officer) of The Rotary Club of Northbrook, Illinois for 45 years. He is a former President of Northbrook United Way.
Sam Harris spearheaded the building of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. He currently serves as President Emeritus of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois. He speaks frequently to schools, churches and community groups throughout the country about his childhood experiences during the Holocaust, lessons he learned during the time he spent hiding in concentration camps, and his experience and role in the building of the Holocaust Museum in Illinois.
A Holocaust Museum is in the process of being organized in the Phoenix area and Mr. Harris is currently serving on it’s Board of Directors.
AUTHOR: In 2001 Mr. Harris wrote his autobiography, Sammy, Child Survivor of the Holocaust and in 2005 and 2010 the second and third edition were published. Spanish, Japanese, Russian and Polish editions are now available.
AWARDS:
In 2005, Sam Harris was awarded “The State of Illinois Human Rights Award for Distinguished Leadership for Protecting the Human Rights of the People of Illinois.”
Grinnell College awarded Mr. Harris the coveted Alumni Award.
Sam Harris received from Temple Chai in Long Grove, Illinois their first Tikkun Olum Award, “Repairing the World”
Northbrook Rotary Club awarded Sam Harris The “Service Above Self” award.
He was awarded by Chicago Magazine,” Chicagoan of the Year, 2009”
The Forward Newspaper named Sam Harris one of the most influential Jewish People in America in 2009.
In 2011, New Trier High School named Sam Harris one of the ten outstanding graduates of all time.
In 2013, The Boy Scouts of America awarded Sam Harris The Distinguished Citizenship Award.
In 2014, Recipient of the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
On April 12, 2015, Sam will be The Chicago Jewish Federation Honoree and Speaker at Temple Chai, in Long Grove.
On May 16, 2015, Sam will be the keynote speaker at the Tri-State Rotary in Appleton, Wisconsin.
CURRENTLY: A documentary has been produced about Sam Harris by Eric Cosh and Ellen Palestrant, titled: SAMMY THE JOURNEY.
The documentary has been accepted by the Jewish Film Festival in the following cities:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Chicago, Illinois
Sam Harris resides with his wife Dede in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois and winters in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their children include daughter Julie and her husband Jeff and their two children Jeremy and Jessica. Their son David is recently deceased.
An easy, passive way to sell raffle tickets for our upcoming Rock 'n' Rotary Game Night is to share our online sales link alongside a few words about how Rotary uses the proceeds to do good right here in Northbrook.
This can be done over email, by text message, or via a post to one of the popular social/networking applications like Facebook, LinkedIN, YouTube, BlueSky etc.. The best part: Once you send or post your message, your work is done!
Remember, winners don't have to be present at our event. Try including friends and family from out of town!
In an email, the most important thing is to provide this link, where people can read about the event and buy tickets: https://go.rallyup.com/rocknrotary/Campaign/Details NOTE: [Consider using your direct link so you get credit for the sale]
Raffle tickets may be purchased at the link below. The raffle winner does not need to be present. This is a great chance to have fun and assist a worthy cause!
The friendly city of Taipei, Taiwan invites you to the 2026 Rotary International Convention from 13 to 17 June, 2026. This Convention is the perfect occasion to discover new opportunities for service and friendship.
We are 12 Host Districts from Taiwan with around 37,000 Rotarians, eager to express our hospitality and welcome you. The charm of Taipei lies in its spirit, enthusiasm, culture, and endless delights . The innovation and ongoing developments in Taipei attract people from all over the world.
Come feel the vibrancy in Taipei and visit us in 2026. We look forward to seeing you!
Volunteer Opportunities
Welcome to the sign-up page of HOC volunteers for 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei. Since HOC volunteers are required to have knowledge of the general vicinity, local transportation, and willingness to work hours of HOC events, the registration of HOC volunteers is open for those who live in Taiwan or Taiwanese passport holders only.
If you are a foreign national and are not familiar with Taipei’s transportation system or local arrangements, you are encouraged to sign up for Rotary Red Sash volunteering by indicating your interest on the registration form. In the coming months, you will receive an email from RI staff member Dan Spink (Dan.Spink@rotary.org) inviting you to register for specific volunteer opportunities.
Ixtapan Spa Auction Item for Northbrook Rotarians and their friends!
Ixtapan Spa Auction Item for Northbrook Rotarians and their friends.
By Tim Sholke
With very special thanks to repeat customer Donna Lee Gulley, Rotary has been gifted a fabulous spa package for two from Hotel Ixtapan Spa & Resort in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico! (Click the link just above to visit the English-language website.) Our club will be holding a silent auction over the coming weeks to send the winner and a guest on a well-deserved retreat while raising money for charitable giving. Bids are not limited to club members - please invite your friends, family and neighbors to bid on this relaxing and luxurious getaway.
Ixtapan Spa & Resort is situated 65 miles outside of Mexico City in the Sierra Madre Mountains. The seven-night spa stay for two (double occupancy) has a $3,600 value and includes all meals,18 organic spa treatments, tennis and pickleball lessons, daily hikes and walks, and pool/yoga/fitness classes in the pools, modern gym, and mineral waters. Note that airfare, shuttle and tips are not included, and that this deal cannot be combined with other offers. (Please view the attachment for exclusions and many more details on amenities!)
But your bid goes beyond a luxurious escape - it creates real impact at home and abroad. Proceeds will support our charitable grant program which provides funding for food pantry access, summer programs and childcare for local families, STEM projects for underserved youth, mental health and special needs resources, plus polio eradication and other global projects.
Auction bids will only be accepted by email to Donna Lee at donnalee127@gmail.com. Bidding begins above $2,000. Updates will be provided each Tuesday in April and May, both at our club meeting and via email. Bids will be accepted through May 31st, with the auction closing at midnight that evening.
Full details on the spa package and the auction are attached to this email, but feel free to reply to me or contact Donna Lee with your questions. We hope that this package will be put to very good use and help Northbrook Rotary support our important causes!
Our club is encouraged to PLAN now -as our district prepares!
Will you help?
Join us in hosting the World's Largest Polio Walk on October 24, 2026!
Rotarians from Zones 25b & 29 will be participating in the World's Largest Polio Walk by joining forces to walk together at 10 a.m. CDT for an end to polio.
Hosted by District 6440, the walk is planned to take place throughout the Midwest. Guess how many states how many clubs are participating?
World’s Largest Polio Walk scheduled for October 24, 2026, the current participation plans are centered around a large-scale collaboration across the central United States:
Scope of Participation
Target Districts: The primary push is coming from Rotary Zones 25B and 29, which collectively represent a massive footprint across the Midwest and Central United States.
Geographic Reach: The event is designed to span multiple states, with organizers from District 6440 (Illinois) coordinating with clubs throughout the central U.S. to ensure a unified start time of 10:00 a.m. CDT.
While a final "club count" for 2026 is still growing, the zones involved typically represent hundreds of clubs.
Growth and Planning
Organizers are currently holding monthly planning sessions to recruit more districts and clubs to break the standing world record.
The goal is to have every club within these two massive zones (which cover areas like Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota) activate their members for this single, synchronized walk.
1st and 3rd Tues of each month 12:15 to 1:30
Max and Benny's
461 Waukegan Road
Northbrook
2nd Tue of each month 5:30 to 7 PM
Acorn Grill
Heritage Oaks Country Club
3535 Dundee Road
Northbrook
4th Tue of each month 5:30 to 7
Social
