Michael Sandalow Obituary

Sandalow, Michael Howard

Michael Howard (Mordechai Tzvi) Sandalow: August 18, 1940 – February 23, 2026

Michael Sandalow, loving father, husband, zaide, brother, uncle, teacher, and friend, died on February 23 at the age of 85. Proudly born in Chicago to Evelyn (nee Hoffing) and Nathan Sandalow, Michael was a brilliant and profoundly kind man who engaged those around him with his intellectual passion and genuine interest in sharing knowledge with others. He will be missed by the many loved ones, pupils, and friends who learned from his lessons and example.

Full obituary can be found here: www.legacy.com/legacy/michael-sandalow

Michael was a loving father to Sharon (Joel), Yitzi, Sholom (Emily), and Nathan (Irene), husband to Naomi, zaide to Rachel (Danny), Nathaniel (Jenny), David, Yoel, Eli, Abe, Henry, Lila, Nava, and Kaia, brother to Terry (Ina), Barbara (Stan), Ady (Louie), Barry (Eileen), and Yudi, and uncle to many nieces and nephews. We will all carry his wisdom and love for the rest of our lives.

Michael believed deeply in building a more just and equal world. Every year, he led a thought-provoking Passover seder, where he encouraged participants of all ages – including the youngest children – to engage with our traditions and how our Jewish values inform the present moment. The Passover story teaches us to welcome the stranger, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt. So, in Michael's honor, we ask that donations be sent to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which supports and advocates for refugees and asylum seekers in the United States and around the world: https://hias.org

Donations may also be sent in Michael's honor to the American Heart Association: www.heart.org/en

The funeral will take place on Thursday, February 26, at 12:00pm, at Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, 4500 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL.

Burial will follow at the Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, IL.

To attend the funeral livestream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com.

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