Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Rabbi Michael Sommer 1987 Finds Fulfillment in Work
Rabbi Michael Sommer, Hamden Hall Class of 1987, has carved out a life in Highland Park, Ill., that allows him to make a difference in other people’s lives—especially youths.
Michael, who founded Congregation Har Shalom two years ago, devotes a lot of time teaching, leading Shabbat services and participating in lifecycle events. Teaching is the largest part of the reason Michael wanted to pursue rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1998. He spent the first year of the program in Israel where he met his future wife, Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, on his second day in Jerusalem. Phyllis is the Director of Congregational Learning at Am Shalom in Glencoe, Ill.
Michael traces his passion for his religious leadership to his experiences in temple youth programs. After he graduated from the University of Kentucky 1993 with a master’s in theater criticism, Michael stayed in Lexington for a few years primarily to volunteer at a synagogue and to teach and work with young people as a youth director.
“That experience made me want to be a rabbi,” Michael said. “I felt like I was there for a reason—to engage the young people, to pay forward all my experiences, to see them, to hear them.”
Another factor that influenced Michael’s vocation was the passing of his father while he was in Lexington. David Sommer had been president of Temple Beth David in Cheshire where Michael grew up.
Fast forward to the year 2000—Michael and Phyllis marry and eventually settle in Highland Park where they had four children. David is a high school senior; daughter, Yael, is 9; and Solomon is 5. The couple had a son, Sam, who died in 2013 from leukemia at age 8. Michael has honored the memory of Sam by establishing a fund in his name for children’s cancer research. The fund is being supported by private donations and proceeds from a children’s alphabet book titled All for Beating Cancer.
The story behind the book is a tale in and of itself! Eric Winter, an illustrator and writer living in South Bend, In., had learned of Sam’s illness through a blog Phyllis and Michael were writing. The blog spoke of Sam’s fascination for super heroes. The next thing Sam knew, a poster arrived created by Eric depicting Sam as a super hero defeating his illness.
Michael, enormously moved by the magnitude and quality of Eric’s talent, approached him about working together on the alphabet book. The book is dedicated to the families with loved ones battling cancer, and it has provided some level of peace for Michael and his family.
“When Sam died, he left behind a world made better by his presence and a family that has a gaping hole where he once stood,” Michael writes in the forward of the book.
A copy of All for Beating Cancer is in Hamden Hall’s Lower School library where Michael warmly thanks his alma mater “for all the memories.” Michael credits his Hamden Hall teachers for their positive impact on his life—Betty Lou Blumberg “exceptional”; Bill Hunter “phenomenal”; Tony Catanese, Whit Russell, and Bruce Zundell —all “amazing.”
“The fact that I am still able to name these teachers is incredible to me,” Michael said. “It speaks to the foundation of learning at Hamden Hall.”
He especially recalls the support that English teacher Bill Hunter provided when it came to writing poetry.
“Mr. Hunter was low-key and he understood kids,” Michael recalled. “He gave us room and encouraged us to write. When I shared the poetry prize my senior year with classmate Jacob Glazer, I was shocked! And I owed it all to Mr. Hunter.”
Michael also gleaned lessons in stewardship at Hamden Hall, and today he is involved in many community organizations, sitting on the boards of the Jewish Community Center of Chicago and the Midwest branch of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
On a personal note, Michael has already penciled in his 30th Class Reunion scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 14, 2017. In the interim, he’d enjoy hearing from his friends at Hamden Hall. He’d be very pleased to tell you more about his current book and talk about the next one he’s planning to write. Email rabbi@har-shalom.com
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
