[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO BERNARD AND ANNETTE ABEND

                                 ______


                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 18, 1996

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing two outstanding citizens, Bernard and Annette Abend.
  One June 23, 1996, Bernard Abend will be honored with a lifetime 
achievement award in recognition of his 36 years of devoted service to 
Etz Jacob Congregation. On this special occasion, he and Annette will 
also celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.
  Bernard and Annette Abend, who were born in Poland and suffered 
through the atrocities of concentration encampment during the 
Holocaust, did not meet until after World War II. They married in 1946 
and soon after emigrated to the United States. The new paths they 
forged for themselves in Scranton, PA were enriched with the births of 
their two daughters and the many challenges facing a young family in an 
adopted land.
  Seeking new opportunities, the Abend family moved to Los Angeles, CA 
in 1959 and Etz Jacob Congregation quickly became a central part of 
their lives. Bernard Abend's 32 years as president of the congregation 
from 1964 to 1996 marked a period of great expansion and religious 
inspiration. Under his capable and energetic leadership, a social hall, 
holy ark, Holocaust memorial, and the Etz Jacob Hebrew Academy were 
constructed.
  It is indeed fitting that the congregation honor Bernard Abend for 
his contributions to Etz Jacob Congregation in conjunction with its 
celebration of Bernard and Annette's golden wedding anniversary. Their 
life together has been inextricably intertwined with the growth and 
blessings of Etz Jacob Congregation.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in extending best wishes to Bernard, 
Annette, and their beloved daughters and grandchildren for continued 
happiness, good health, and prosperity.

                          ____________________