[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. FRED KRINSKY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 5, 1997

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Dr. Fred 
Krinsky, a rabbi, professor of political science and fanatic Dodger 
fan--Brooklyn and Los Angeles--who died last month at the age of 73. 
Despite being diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes at the age of 
8, Dr. Krinsky lived a life of extraordinary energy and achievement. He 
never wavered in his desire to bring together people of diverse 
backgrounds and to foster the growth of Judaism in areas with small but 
devoted Jewish communities.
  Born in Poland, Dr. Krinsky came with his family to the United States 
when he was 3. He grew up in Brooklyn, which explains his passion for 
the Dodgers. ``Passion'' is too weak a word: Dr. Krinsky spent much of 
his life in agony over the fact that Dodger catcher Mickey Owen dropped 
a crucial third strike in the 1941 World Series against the New York 
Yankees.
  Dr. Krinsky received his master's and doctorate degrees in political 
science at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also ordained as a 
rabbi through a private Orthodox Yeshiva in Brooklyn. Dr. Krinsky 
taught at Syracuse University from 1947 to 1960 and the University of 
Southern California from 1960 to 1972. He moved to Los Angeles 2 years 
after the Dodgers, but he always insisted it was mere coincidence.
  Dr. Krinsky was an ardent Zionist who led several trips to Israel. 
His class on Middle Eastern politics at Pomona College, where he was 
chair and chair emeritus in government from 1972 to 1997, was one of 
the most popular on campus. Former students would return to hear the 
magic of his words and the wisdom of his views. Dr. Krinsky firmly 
believed that only through dialog could Israelis and Arabs--and Jewish-
Americans and Arab-Americans--resolve their differences over the Middle 
East.
  Dr. Krinsky's legacy includes four reform congregations in southern 
California and a fifth in Scottsdale, AZ. In each case he was the 
founding rabbi.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in saluting Fred Krinsky, whose 
courage and humanity were an inspiration to us all. He will be sorely 
missed by his family and friends.

                          ____________________