Village of Skokie

Village of Vision.

Skokie (pronounced /ˈskoʊki/; formerly Niles Center) Coordinates: 42°02′00″N -87°44′34″E / 42.0333333°N 86.25722°W / 42.0333333; -86.25722 is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American term for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348. Sharing a border with the City of Chicago, Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of the Chicago street grid, and it is serviced by the Chicago Transit Authority, further cementing its connection to the city.

Skokie was originally a German-Luxembourger farming community but was settled by a sizeable Jewish population, particularly after World War II. At its peak in the mid 60s, 40% of the population was Jewish, the largest percentage of any Chicago suburb. In recent years, however Skokie's population has become significantly more diverse and has seen the closure of several Jewish synogogues and schools. It nonetheless was considered the logical location for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center when it opened in northwest Skokie in 2009.

Skokie has garnered national attention at least twice for court cases that have been decided by the United States Supreme Court. In the mid-1970s, the Village got embroiled with the National Socialist Party of America (a neo-Nazi group) in a case addressing the First Amendment right to assemble, a case which ultimately the Village lost. Also, in 2001, although Skokie was not a direct party to the case, a decision by the Village regarding land use led to a decision by the Court which reduced the power of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Tags: Government Organization