Victor Sikevitz, 93, has been a volunteer in Chicago throughout his lifetime. He was on the board and treasurer of Mount Sinai Hospital and been active within Chicago’s Jewish community for the past 60 years. Victor was instrumental in the building of the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center in Rogers Park and served as a President at the that Jewish Community Center from 1962 - 65. After retiring from his position as Vice President of the Jewish Federation in 1981, he has continued his volunteer efforts in the Jewish community to this day.
When asked by his granddaughter Jessica Honor Carleton about his philanthropic efforts within the Jewish community , Victor remarked, “I have to explain that it has all been a pay back. Every year since I can remember as a child the local Jewish charities, hospitals and community centers, and youth centers did things for me. Those organizations helped me to mold me and assisted in everything I did in the future.”
He went on to explain, “ Starting when I was five or six years old, I'd go to the Jewish Hebrew Institute, which was the forerunner of the JPI, the Jewish People Institute, which was in turn the forerunner of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago. I'd go play in the playground, they'd pass out milk. For children growing up in those days, it was a lot of fun being there. In later years I was active at the JPI, Jewish People Institute and that is where I met Catherine, your grandma, at the roof garden so I have something to be grateful for in that respect.”
“When I was a young boy, maybe 12, 13 or 14 I was a member of a Boys Club which was operated by the Young Men's Jewish Council called the American Boys Commonwealth, ABC, on the west side across the street from Douglas Park. I joined in around 1928, but they moved from there in 1930 to a new building on 13th street. I was active there for many years. They took me to camp, Camp Wooster at that time, and then it became Camp Henry Horner.” During the depression, he was able to work at Camp Wooster where I was able to gain skills that would impact his future. He also worked at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, “The Century of Progress.”
“These were all things that helped my growing up and particularly when it came to the Boys Club activities. The presidents, former presidents and board members of the Young Men's Jewish Council assisted in running groups and athletic activities and the camera club in which I was very active. The man that taught me photography, Ira Ruble, years later, after I had about two years of college and accounting, hired me to work for his public accounting firm And that's how I got my start in public accounting. Prior to that when I graduated high school I worked for the law firm of two former presidents of the Young Men's Jewish Council, Moe Levitan and James Glassner. So I was helped by these organizations and the men who ran them, really the community because the community supported these organizations. And that's why I went into this. As I said it was a pay back. Whenever these individuals contacted me to become involved in youth centers and community centers I did, because of the people that contacted me and I knew first hand the importance of the work of these organizations.”
“In 1945 I was asked to be a member of the board of the Young Men's Jewish Council, the same organization that had helped me out when I was a youngster. And I was on that board for nine years and was on the committee that built a youth center in Albany Park. In 1954 my term as a board member ended and I was asked to be a board member of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago. At that time the JPI was the principal center. Later the Jewish community moved to other parts of the city, West Rogers Park and the South Shore, later Skokie and we built community centers there. I was the Vice Chairman of the committee that built the Horwich Center in Rogers Park. We planned it, bought the land in 1959 and in 1960 we opened the center and I was elected President from 1962 - 1965. I was active there. We lived in West Rogers Park at the time and it was a great experience for me. Somewhere in between I was on the board of Jewish Vocational Service for a few years.”
“In about 1966, when I ended my membership on the board of the JCC of Chicago, I was elected to the board of the Mount Sinai Hospital and became the Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee until 1972 when I had to resign because I became part of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and it would have been a conflict of interest to remain on the boards of the JCC and Mount Sinai Hospital because they were all affiliates of the Jewish Federation.”
“I had an attachment to both Mount Sinai Hospital and Michael Reese Hospital, which were both affiliates of the Jewish Federation. I was born at Michael Reese Hospital on December 17, 1915, a long time ago, and it was Mount Sinai where my sister Helen and brother Marty, and your Uncle Stuart (Victor’s son) were born. As with my other volunteer efforts, when they asked me to help, I was pleased to be asked to help.”
Victor was raised in the Maxwell Street neighborhood until the family moved to Lawndale in about 1926. He attended Chicago Public Schools: Jefferson Elementary and later Creiger and Howland. He went to Herzl Junior High School and Crane High School. Victor was the only member of his family to attend college. He received his college degree from Northwestern University’s night school in Business and Accounting in 1939 and also passed the certified public accountant exam, while working in accounting during the day.
When he married Catherine Gomberg on August 27, 1939, they moved in with her parents, Rose and Harry Gomberg at 4433 W. Congress Street. In 1948 they moved to Albany Park until 1953 when they built a home in West Rogers Park. They moved to Northbrook in 1980.
Thirty years of Victor’s career was at Northern Metal Producers, a metal stamping plant in Franklin Park. Initially, Northern Metal was an accounting client, but in 1942 Victor joined the firm and remained as treasurer until the company merged with a larger firm.
“In 1972, I was invited to become Director of Finance and Administration for the Jewish Federation and the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago The man who held that position for 41 years was retiring and he remembered me. He had been an instructor in accounting at Northwestern and I had graded papers for him and he knew about my background of 30 years in metal stamping industry. Again, I was flattered and I accepted. So from 1972 to the end of 1981, I held that position and retired at that time. But I didn't just walk away. For years I'd be there a couple of days a week, but took winters off to go to Florida and to this date I do projects for them. It seems like there would be a great void if I didn't do some kind of charity work. I never minded it, it was time consuming, but what do you do with your time, you can waste it or spend it productively. I have always felt this was a good way.”
When Victor retired from the Jewish Federation in 1981, an academic scholarship fund was established in his name. The Victor Sikevitz Scholarship Fund, administered by the Jewish Vocational Service, has provided assistance for students planning a profession in community service for the past two decades.
Victor is survived by Catherine, his wife of 69 years; his children Gail Sikevitz and Stuart Sikes; his grandchildren Jessica Honor Carleton, Peggy Danishevsky and Eric Sikes; and five great grandchildren; Julius, Leo, and Georgia Anne Danishevsky, and Payton and Evan Sikes; his brother Marty Sikes and sister Helen Krakow.