[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3947-S3948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                 IN RECOGNITION OF JEWISH HERITAGE WEEK

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is with great pride and pleasure 
that I rise today to call my colleagues attention to Jewish Heritage 
Week, which is being recognized this year from April 26 through May 2.
  Each spring since 1976, during the season in which Jewish people 
commemorate Passover, Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and Yom 
Ha'atzmaut (Israel independence Day), a week is set aside to celebrate 
the significant contributions Jewish people have made to American 
history and culture. This year is of special significance to Jews in 
the United States and throughout the world as the State of Israel 
celebrates its 50th anniversary on April 30.
  On the day following the establishment of the State of Israel, Prime 
Minister Ben-Gurion reminded the people of Israel what had been 
accomplished. He said, ``whatever we have achieved is the result of the 
efforts of earlier generations no less than those of our own. It is 
also the result of an unwavering fidelity to our precious heritage, the 
heritage of a small nation that has suffered much, but at the same time 
has won for itself a special place in the history of mankind because of 
its spirit, faith, and vision.'' Today, American Jews maintain the same 
rich heritage of which Prime Minister Ben-Gurion spoke. And just as our 
brothers and sisters in Israel, we owe much to our forebears who paved 
the way in the United States.
  Mr. President, the contributions of Jewish Americans to the life of 
our nation are undeniable. Virtually every area of American culture has 
benefitted from the talents of Jewish people, including science, 
medicine, business, government, literature and the arts. I know my 
colleagues join me and the millions of others who mark this special 
week to pay tribute to the countless people of Jewish faith who have 
contributed so much to the definition of our nation and the 
world.

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