More than 400 WRP residents of all ages -but especially moms, dads and kids – enjoyed an afternoon of socializing and community building at Back-to-School Fun Day, Sunday, Aug. 31, on the grounds of the Bernard Horwich Center, sponsored by Jewish Community Council of West Rogers Park and Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago.

Featuring free rides for children including a moonwalk and rock-climbing wall, musical entertainment, door prizes, and food for purchase from Great Chicago Food & Beverage, the event provided a bounty of information from participating exhibitors on services and opportunities available in the neighborhood.

“Our goal was to connect community members to valuable – and little known — resources,” said JCCWRP Executive Director Shalom Klein.

JCCWRP informed guests of its mission to strengthen and preserve West Rogers Park as Chicago’s flagship Jewish neighborhood, providing a vehicle for advocacy for better amenities in the parks and a new public library; revitalization of commercial streets, and alleviating eye soars, like the blighted area behind Lincoln Village.  To learn more about how community members can participate in efforts to become a force for positive change in the neighborhood, visit the JCCWRP website atwww.gowrp.org.

Among other highlights, Richard Trumbo, proprietor of Music House, located at 2925 W. Devon, delighted guests with a live mini-concert and answered questions from scores of parents about music lessons for kids  (www.musichouseinc.com).

Devon Bank representatives shared information about a program developed in partnership with JCCWRP, providing financial assistance to qualified buyers to encourage home ownership.  (Contact Irv Loundy, Senior VP, ILoundy@DevonBank.com.)

Jewish Child and Family Services staff explained the “safer schools” initiative, aimed to protect children from abuse in the day-school system.  (Information is available athttp://www.jcfs.org/node/677)

A volunteer for Ald. Debra Silverstein’s office advised neighbors on how to utilize her constituent services to report crime, potholes, graffiti, worn-out refuse cans, and more (visitwww.50thWardChicago.com).

Akiba Schechter Day School (www.akibaschechter.org), Council for Jewish Elderly (www.cje.net/), Sinai Health System (www.sinai.org), and HIAS(www.hias.org) also participated in the event.

Co-sponsors included Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, Devon Bank, Ald. Debra Silverstein and State Sen. Ira Silverstein.