[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    TEMPLE B'NAI B'RITH OF WILKES-BARRE CELEBRATES 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 9, 1995
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize 
the sesquicentennial of the Temple B'nai B'rith of Wilkes-Barre. I am 
pleased to join in the celebration commemorating the congregation's 150 
years of leadership and community participation in the Wyoming Valley.
  Although historical records cannot determine the exact organizational 
beginning of the temple, it is known that the first Jewish families 
emigrated to the Wyoming Valley as early as the 1830's. Because the 
records show its founding to be somewhere between 1840 and 1848, B'nai 
B'rith has chosen to observe its founding year as 1845. With the 
support of all denominations, the first temple was erected in Wilkes-
Barre and dedicated in 1884. It was northeastern Pennsylvania's first 
permanent synagogue. An orthodox temple until 1860, the B'nai B'rith 
became a pioneer in reform Judaism in the United States.
  In 1960, a new temple was built across the river in Kingston with 
modern architecture and furnishings. In 1972, along with most of the 
Wyoming Valley, the building was devastated by the floods of Hurricane 
Agnes. The sanctuary was filled with more than 8 feet of water. Many 
irreplaceable records and objects were lost. Luckily, temple members 
saved the sacred Torahs just before the Susquehanna River spilled its 
banks. As was the case throughout the Wyoming Valley following the 
disaster, the community joined together and helped rebuild and 
refurbish the temple.
  Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of the ecumenical unity and spirit 
which has become a tradition in northeastern Pennsylvania. B'nai B'rith 
is an active participant in the many interfaith projects which promote 
the understanding and tolerance for which our area is known. As we pay 
tribute to B'nai B'rith's founders during this celebration, we also pay 
tribute to its 275 families who continue to strengthen the tradition of 
Reform Judaism and who play an active role in the ecumenical spirit and 
community in the Wyoming Valley.


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