[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            RABBI MELL HECHT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am very happy today to welcome to the 
Senate and Washington, DC, Rabbi Mell Hecht. I do this on my behalf and 
that of Senator Bryan from Nevada.
  I have been in the presence of Rabbi Hecht on joyous occasions, bar 
mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, and also sad occasions where he has spoken 
at funerals. Rabbi Hecht is truly one of the spiritual leaders of the 
Greater Las Vegas area and the State of Nevada. That is why I was very 
happy to be responsible for his giving the prayer to open this session 
of the Senate.
  Rabbi Mell Hecht is really a community builder. He is an active 
leader in our religious community and as a result of his being active 
in our religious community with his spiritual leadership this has 
certainly flowed over into the rest of the community. He is deeply 
concerned about the community of man. He is an outspoken advocate for 
human rights. He has worked for peace in many different aspects of our 
society.
  Rabbi Hecht has a great academic background. He has a bachelor of 
arts degree from the University of Miami in Florida. He has done some 
of his undergraduate work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, 
Israel. He completed his bachelor of Hebrew letters and master of 
Hebrew letters at the Cincinnati Union College where he was ordained a 
rabbi. He has been an Army chaplain and race relations officer in 
Germany. He served as chairman of the Humana Sunrise Pastoral Care 
Council, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Nevada Clergy 
Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and the Jewish Federation Community 
Relations Committee. He has been on the boards of numerous civic and 
charitable organizations. He has recently received his doctor of 
divinity degree from Hebrew Union College in California.
  Mr. President, again, it is with a great deal of honor and pleasure 
that I welcome one of Nevada's spiritual leaders, Rabbi Mell Hecht, to 
the Senate.

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