Julie Kaviar

Julie Kaviar fights for equity, equality, and social reform through her work as the Chief of Staff at 14th District Commissioner Scott Britton's office. She has promoted public health, fundraised for children with developmental health challenges, advocated for police reform, and expanded racial, housing, and economic equity throughout Cook County.

She has played a role in effecting genuine change, writing the first renters-right legislation, increasing the number of languages into which  suburban Cook County ballots are translated, expanding Medicaid coverage, and supporting victim services after the Boston Marathon Bombing.

In addition to aiding in a statewide effort to strengthen abortion rights, Julie has also fostered a sense of trust between police and residents by leading Cook County's adoption of the NAACP and Association of Police Chiefs "Principles." 

AGE:
34

PRONOUNS:
She, Her, Hers

PRIMARY GIG:
Chief of Staff, Office of 14th District Commissioner Scott Britton

SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME:
I was in a Barber Shop Quartet in high school – not only affording me the opportunities to perform “Wait ‘Til the Sun Shines, Nellie” but also teaching me the important lessons of balance and listening to others through harmonization.

HOW YOU JEW IN CHICAGO:
Living in a city without relatives, I have taken comfort in surrounding myself and being able to take part in the great Jewish traditions with my chosen family. There is a phrase I have come to love, “next year in Jerusalem,” which I interpret to mean looking toward a brighter future we’re building together. I have lovingly used it in non-Passover settings and find it a reminder that we can create our own Jerusalem’s, for ourselves and through chosen communities. We should not wait till next year - or tomorrow - to do this work.

A JEW WHO INSPIRES YOU:
My grandfather, George Bernard Kaviar, taught me many lessons as the ultimate mensch in my life. From the 1920’s to the 2020’s, he resiliently reinvented himself numerous times: as an Ivy League Scholar, a World War II veteran including at the Battle of the Bulge, a teacher, an entrepreneur, an Occupier of Wall Street, and of course loving husband, father, grandfather of interracial children, and great-grandfather. He taught me the lessons of living with purpose, that valor can appear in big and small ways, that love conquers all, and that a well-placed colorful accessory (in his case, usually dapper suspenders) elevates every occasion.