[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 139 (Friday, September 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       HONORING THE SLIFKA FAMILY

                                 ______


                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 8, 1995
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, September 10, 1995, many 
distinguished guests will gather in New Haven, CT, for the dedication 
of the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale. This center, which 
commemorates and celebrates the vibrant history of Jewish life at the 
university, was made possible in part due to the generosity and vision 
of the Slifka Family. As a result of their magnanimous gift and the 
contributions of many other individuals, the Slifka Center will be a 
place for contemplation, historical study, and joyful exploration of 
the many facets of Jewish culture.
  Joseph Slifka, who passed away 3 years ago, was a deeply caring and 
compassionate man who devoted himself to his family, his community, and 
his faith. A former real estate financier in Manhattan, Joseph Slifka 
always gave generously of his time and resources, including donations 
of modern art to museums in Jerusalem and New York. The Center for 
Jewish Life is a fitting tribute to a man who believed in the 
importance of tradition and the value of quiet reflection.
  The creation of the Center for Jewish Life has, in all respects, been 
a labor of love, serving to knit together even more closely the Yale 
Jewish community. Indeed, the walls of the Slifka Center are inlaid 
with pieces of Jerusalem stone that have been carved with the names of 
those individuals whose tireless efforts helped make the center a 
reality. Designed and built in the spirit of inclusiveness, the Slifka 
Center welcomes all those who wish to explore and share their Jewish 
heritage. Both the Yale and New Haven communities will benefit greatly 
from the exciting social, cultural, religious, and educational 
programming that will soon be available at the center. In the words of 
Joseph Slifka's son, Alan, the Center for Jewish Life is ``a true gift 
for God, for country, and for Yale.'' It is with great joy that I join 
Alan, his sister, Barbara, and his mother, Sylvia, for the ribbon-
cutting ceremony this Sunday. I thank the university administration for 
their strong support, and the Hillel board of trustees and Rabbi James 
Ponet for their strong and devoted leadership. Thanks to their efforts, 
the dreams of individuals such as Joseph Slifka have been fulfilled.


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