[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H10326-H10327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF FLEMINGTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pappas] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, in just a few weeks, congregants of the 
Flemington Jewish Community Center in Flemington, New Jersey, and many 
of their friends will gather to celebrate several significant 
milestones in their faith and in their community. On November 23, the 
Flemington Jewish

[[Page H10327]]

Community Center will celebrate its 50th anniversary at a gala dinner 
dance at the Martinsville Inn in Martinsville, New Jersey.
  Over the past 50 years, the community center has inspired, educated, 
counseled, and guided countless numbers of the Jewish faithful. While 
the dinner will recognize the 50 years that center has been located at 
its present location in Flemington, it is important to note that the 
group itself was in existence for many years before gathering 
throughout the community. This year also marks a significant time for 
the entire Jewish community, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the 
State of Israel.
  The celebration will also recognize another notable occurrence. It 
was over 10 years ago that Rabbi Evan Jaffe, a native of Denver, was 
chosen as the spiritual leader of the Flemington Jewish Community 
Center. During the decade that he has spent in New Jersey, the rabbi 
has become an instrumental and active leader in the Jewish community 
throughout the State.
  Aside from the spiritual leadership he has demonstrated throughout 
his years at the synagogue, he has distinguished himself by service to 
the community by serving the elder members of the faith at the Edison 
State Nursing Home and the Greenbrook Regional Center. Additionally, he 
serves as the Jewish chaplain to Jewish inmates in Hunterdon and 
Somerset Counties. He is also the vice president of the Jewish Family 
Service of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties and serves as 
chaplain at both the Hunterdon Medical Center and the Hagedorn 
Geriatric Center.
  Beyond the celebration of High Holy Days and weekly services, the 
center has truly become a center for the faithful of the community to 
gather for cultural, social, and educational purposes. The tremendous 
amount of work, planning, and dedication of those who persevered to 
establish the center so many years ago lives on today. What began with 
a few families, business people, and farmers has evolved into a 
comprehensive center which continues to grow each year. Today, this 
facility serves over 230 families throughout Hunterdon County and the 
surrounding areas, and each year that number continues to grow.
  Throughout the years, the Community Center and Rabbi Jaffe in 
particular have proved to be a place of comfort for those in times of 
sorrow and have been an instrumental part of the joy and happiness of 
many families and individuals. Whether it was the newfound joy of a 
child or the sorrow experienced while grieving the death of a loved 
one, the spirit, support, and faith he provides and they provide to 
congregants is invaluable.
  The center is a place where both young and old can learn about the 
history of the Jewish faith, its traditions and customs. It is a place 
of learning and enrichment and serves as a focal point for young people 
to gather the knowledge and maintain the traditions that have been 
handed down to them.
  Not too long ago, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to a 
special service at the Flemington Jewish Center. It was a moving 
celebration of the bar and bat mitzvahs of a number of severely 
disabled community residents. Many of the young people being honored 
were unable to speak, see, or to stand. Yet, the joy and meaning of the 
event was clearly understood by each and every one of them, their 
families, and all who participated that day.
  It was the commitment of Rabbi Jaffe who made the effort to visit 
these individuals weekly, often in institutional settings, to help them 
to learn the portion of the Torah which they were to share with the 
congregation. The outpouring of love and pride that day is something I 
will not soon forget.
  Recently, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to 
Israel. The Jewish federations of the five counties in my district made 
this possible, including many of the members of the Flemington Jewish 
Center. While I have always been a staunch supporter of Israel, I came 
away even clearer about the needs of the region, the tenuous balance 
the Israeli people are trying to maintain, and the absolute need for a 
lasting peace.
  The United States must remain strong in its resolve to support the 
efforts of the Israeli people. They have succeeded through 
determination, resolve, hard work, and know-how to facilitate an 
independent and flourishing nation and to remain connected to the 
Jewish people throughout our country and countries around the world.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to joining with the friends, 
families, and members of the Flemington Jewish Community Center as they 
celebrate their faith, history, stories, traditions, and values. This 
upcoming 50th anniversary dinner will allow us the opportunity to 
fondly recall the past, celebrate all that has been accomplished, and 
continue to look ahead to the future.
  For the last 50 years, the Flemington Jewish Community Center has 
served the faithful and the community at large very well. If the 
spirit, dedication, and faith of those who founded and continue to be a 
part of the center are any indication of what the future holds, this 
community can only grow stronger. So today, I would like to wish the 
Flemington Jewish Community Center and Rabbi Jaffe a hearty mazel-tov.

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