Solomon Gutstein

Early life and education

Mr. Gutstein was born to Rabbi Morris Gutstein and Golda Gutstein in Newport, Rhode Island. Mr. Gutstein moved with his parents and brother, Naftali Gutstein, to Chicago in 1943. He received his A.B. with honors from the University of Chicago in 1953 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1956. From 1955-56, Mr. Gutstein was associate editor of the University of Chicago Law Review. While at law school, he took night classes at the Hebrew Theological College, and on July 31, 1956, Mr. Gutstein was ordained as a Rabbi by an Orthodox Judaism Beit Din in New York City consisting of Rabbi Nathan Dublinsky, Rabbi Leifa Wiesblum, and Rabbi Eliyahu Huberland. On September 3, 1961, Mr. Gutstein married Carol G. Feinhandler, who changed her name to Carol F. Gutstein.

Career and city council service

Though Mr. Gutstein has officiated life cycle events as a Rabbi, he never intended to pursue a career in theology. Mr. Gutstein started his legal career as an associate for Schratsky, Gould, and Ratner from 1956 through 1961. Showing a desire to be independent that would mark his career in and out of politics, Mr. Gutstein left the firm and for the next 30 years was either a partner or principal in his own firm.

Always interested in politics, and encouraged by his politically active friend, Seymour Simon, Mr. Gutstein ran for and won a seat as Alderman of the City Council in 1975, representing the 40th ward of Chicago. At the time, the 40th Ward encompassed disparate ethnic neighborhoods on Chicago’s northwest side, bordered by Peterson to the north, Kedzie to the west, and reaching as far as Irving Park to the south and Clark to the east. Though Mr. Gutstein did not emphasize his stature as Rabbi in his campaign, Mayor Richard J. Daley and the Cook County Democratic Party ("Democratic Party" or "the Party" supported his candidacy as the ward had been predominantly Jewish. In winning a seat on the Chicago City Council, Mr. Gutstein became the first ordained Rabbi to serve as Alderman.

Mr. Gutstein was determined to make local government accessible to the citizens of his ward. Mr. Gutstein held regular walk-in office hours as well as monthly town meetings and zoning sessions in a various areas of the Ward. Through these meetings Mr. Gutstein achieved his goal of hearing first-hand the constituent concerns that ranged from potholes to crime. Mr. Gutstein also quickly established himself as an incorruptible Alderman, refusing to meet anyone without a third party present. Mr. Gutstein sponsored the first residential permit parking ordinance and maneuvered successfully to bring out of committee a previously stalled ordinance curtailing towing abuse so the law could be immediately considered and passed by the Council. As he championed legislation touching on religious issues, such as Sunday burial and a city Eruv, Mr. Gutstein also solicited input from Chicago rabbinical leaders.

Mr. Gutstein lost the 1979 campaign in a close race owing largely to his loss of party support.

Mr. Gutstein would return to the City Council for one night on December 1, 1987, following the death of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington on November 25, 1987. In recognition of his stature as a Rabbi, Mr. Gutstein was invited to give the opening prayer invocation of the contentious special City Council election of Eugene Sawyer as the City's 53rd mayor of Chicago. He cited the words of the Jewish Hebrew prayer, Sim Shalom, translated as “Grant Peace.”

Mr. Gutstein resumed his legal practice full-time after his term ended as Alderman. In 1983, Mr. Gutstein established himself as a leading practitioner of Illinois Real Estate Law after writing a two volume treatise for Lawyers Cooperative Publishing. Mr. Gutstein would continue to build on his comprehensive practical legal guide and subsequently publish two new related publications. The current three volume work, first published in 2000 as part of the Illinois Practice Series, remains a popular resource for attorneys. In 1992, Mr. Gutstein merged his legal practice into Tenney and Bentley, LLC, where he now continues his real estate and business transaction practice. In addition to his practice and publications, he lectures extensively on real estate. Mr. Gutstein was a lecturer in business law at the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago and an adjunct professor in real estate at John Marshall Law School (Chicago). He became a Business mediator in 2012. He is a member of the Illinois Bar and the Federal District Court Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois and is admitted to practice before the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Personal life

Mr. Gutstein was married to Carol F. Gutstein until her death on July 12, 2014, a loving marriage of over 50 years. Mr. Gutstein has four sons Jon, David, Daniel, and Josh, and 10 grandchildren Ethan, Emma, Naomi, Jacob, Ben, Yohan, Caleb, Eyal, Theodore, and Isiah.

Works

Books

Articles