[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1398-E1399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      HONORING RABBI HOWARD SIMON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 1999

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, this week, Knoxville is losing a wonderful 
spiritual and community leader who has devoted many years to our 
community. After serving thirteen years, Rabbi Howard Simon is retiring 
from the oldest Jewish Congregation in East Tennessee, Temple Beth El, 
founded in 1864.
  Rabbi Simon received his Bachelor of Hebrew Letters degree from 
Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in 1960, a masters of 
Hebrew Letters along with his rabbinic ordination in 1963 and a doctor 
of divinity in 1988.
  Rabbi Simon has served on the board of directors of the United Way, 
Leadership Knoxville, the Knox County Mental Health Association and the 
executive committee of the Knoxville Jewish Federation.
  He is also a member of the Knoxville Ministerial Alliance and the 
ministerial board for East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
  Rabbi Simon has also been honored by the National Conference of 
Christians and Jews for his dedication and service to the community.
  Before coming to Temple Beth El, Rabbi Simon served as rabbi at Har 
Sinai Temple in Baltimore; Beth Israel Congregation in Atlantic City, 
N.J., and K.K. Bene Israel Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Simon has been a tremendous spiritual leader in 
our Nation, but I would like to highlight one of his accomplishments 
that I am especially proud of. Rabbi Simon had a huge impact on the 
creation of the Interfaith Health Clinic in Knoxville. This clinic 
provides medical services for those who otherwise would not be able to 
afford proper medical care. I believe this says a tremendous amount 
about Rabbi Howard Simon.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that I join with all Americans in thanking Rabbi 
Simon for his service to Temple Beth El and the Knoxville community for 
the past thirteen years. I have included a copy of a story written in 
the Knoxville News-Sentinel honoring Rabbi Simon that I would like to 
call to the attention of my fellow members and other readers of the 
Record.

           [From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, June 12, 1999]

   Time for New Chapter to Begin--Rabbi Howard Simon looks ahead to 
                               retirement

                        (By Jeannine F. Hunter)

       Rabbi Howard Alan Simon greets people as if they shared 
     many moments of tears and cheers together.
       He embraces one with a firm grip and an engaging smile. To 
     him, they are family.
       For 13 years, he served as spiritual leader at Temple Beth 
     El, East Tennessee's oldest Jewish congregation. The Jewish 
     Reform congregation was established in 1864 and became a 
     member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations 11 years 
     later.
       Members are like siblings, calling upon one another and 
     adhering to Simon's open door policy.
       ``And people waltz in all the time, which is nice,'' he 
     said, in his nearly empty office. ``We've shared so much 
     together.''
       Friday, June 25, marks the beginning of Simon's last 
     weekend at the temple. He will retire from the temple, ending 
     his 36-year rabbinic career.
       During a recent visit, Simon and his wife, retired educator 
     Rona Simon, discussed Simon's rabbinate, their philosophy on 
     teaching and humanity, and their retirement plans.
       As the pair talked about their time at Temple Beth El, they 
     smiled frequently.
       ``The people have been so warm. We have a loving, warm 
     congregation,'' Rona Simon said.
       Howard Simon agreed.
       Simon will be replaced by Rabbi Beth L. Schwartz, the 
     temple's first woman rabbi.
       Schwartz is a newly ordained graduate of the Hebrew Union 
     College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, where 
     Simon also was ordained. Her work experience includes being 
     an academic adviser at George Mason University; a senior 
     analyst for the U.S. Department of Education; a senior 
     business analyst for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. in 
     McLean, Va., and a book buyer.
       Schwartz assumes leadership of Temple Beth El on July 1. 
     She is married to Larry Washington, and they have two adult 
     children.
       ``I told the congregation I feel the best years at Temple 
     Beth El are ahead of them,'' Simon said. ``It's difficult to 
     leave. It has been wonderful for us.''
       After 10 years as director of education at the temple, Rona 
     Simon retired in 1998. In May, she retired from her private 
     practice as an educational consultant, specializing in 
     learning disabilities.
       The temple's school grew from 36 to 120 children during 
     their tenure.
       ``The focus of my attention the first few years of 
     being here was our religious school, seeing it grow in 
     numbers and enhancing its curriculum,'' he said.
       Howard Simon said another goal of his administration was to 
     create a familial atmosphere so that the membership 
     interacted with each other in a variety of ways.
       Outreach and adult education were also emphasized.
       ``We learned more and more people want the temple, and they 
     want it to be a focal point of their lives,'' Simon said.
       Simon, the only rabbi in his family, said his experiences 
     at his home temple in Colorado and subsequent leadership 
     roles at a youth camp influenced him.
       ``Teaching the kids Judaism, I loved the interaction we had 
     with the children,'' he said, adding in college he initially 
     wanted to study law.
       Throughout his rabbinate he has met officials from former 
     Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the late Dr. 
     Martin Luther King Jr.
       He was among the first religious leaders to spearhead the 
     creation of Knoxville's Interfaith Health Clinic in 1991. He 
     has served as chairman of the clinic's board of directors.
       He cited it as one of his most important endeavors.
       ''I am proud to have been a part of the group that brought 
     this into being,'' he said.
       When commenting about service, Simon used a Hebrew term 
     which means ``repair the world,'' a Judaic belief.
       ''We're supposed to, as individuals, try to make the world 
     a better place,'' he said. ``Part of my rabbinic is to be 
     committed to the community we live in. We do not live in a 
     vacuum. Fortunately I had a congregation that agreed with 
     that and supported me.''
       Simon, a humanitarian and scholar, also is an author. He 
     has a book of poetry, ``Back

[[Page E1399]]

     from the Abyss: Thoughts on Life and Death'' and looks 
     forward to completing other works, one on his experiences as 
     a rabbi in New Jersey, before and after gambling was 
     legalized in Atlantic City.
       One book may be about retirement: How to plan for it and 
     how to respond to the emotions it may evoke.
       ``You need to be active,'' he said. ``Also you need to have 
     a realization that retirement is not a lowering of your self-
     esteem but an opening of a new chapter in your life.''
       Rona Simon added, ``It's a new beginning.''
       In their new beginning, the Simons will reduce but not 
     eliminate all of their civic commitments. They want to spend 
     more time with each other, their children and three 
     grandchildren.
       A few of their road trips will be to away Lady Vols 
     basketball games.
       When the Lady Vols basketball team's schedule is released, 
     the Simons, who are perennial ticket holders, have a planning 
     meeting.
       ``She tells me to block those nights out so I try not to 
     have meetings,'' says Simon. ``At this point, the ideal job 
     for me would be the team's chaplain.''
       He laughed.
       ``They have done so much for Knoxville and are excellent 
     role models,'' Rona Simon said. ``They are role models not 
     because they win but because they inspire young people and 
     are committed to various causes.''
       A special Shabbat service, prepared by Simon, on June 25 
     will be followed by a special oneg Shabbat to honor Simon at 
     the temple. On Saturday, June 26, there will be a program 
     beginning at 7:30 p.m. that will also celebrate the 80th 
     birthday of temple member Millie Gelber.
       At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 27, there will be a special 
     dinner honoring Simon's 36 years of service to Reform Judaism 
     and his 13 years at the temple. It will be at the Hyatt and 
     will feature a toast and a roast of Simon by his relatives 
     and friends.


                    At a glance: Rabbi Howard Simon

       Born in Davenport, Iowa, and moved to Denver, Colo. He 
     graduated from Colorado University in 1958.
       Bachelor of Hebrew Letters degree from Hebrew Union 
     College--Jewish Institute of Religion in 1960; master of 
     Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination both in 1963; and 
     doctor of divinity in 1968.
       Temple Beth El is Simon's fourth congregation. Also served 
     as rabbi at Har Sinai Temple in Baltimore; Beth Israel 
     Congregation in Atlantic City, N.J.; and K.K. Bene Israel 
     Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati.
       Samuel Neustadter Memorial Award for Service to the state 
     of Israel, 1977.
       Rabbinic Services Award from the Council of Jewish 
     Federation, 1989.
       Participated in study mission to Poland and to the Soviet 
     Union.
       Was scholar in residence at the Sam and Esther Rosen 
     Institute in Knoxville; adjunct professor at Hebrew Union 
     College-Jewish Institute of Religion from 1981-86; taught at 
     Xavier College and Hiwassee College.
       National affiliations: Union of American Hebrew 
     Congregations' Committee on Judaism and Health and its 
     Committee on Cults and Missionary Movements; National 
     Rabbinic Cabinet of United Jewish Appeal.
       Local affiliations: Board of directors for the Interfaith 
     Health Clinic, the United Way, Leadership Knoxville; the Knox 
     County Mental Health Association; executive committee of the 
     Knoxville Jewish Federation.
       In 1996, became a UT Chancellor's Associate, one of several 
     Knoxville-area community leaders who advised Chancellor Bill 
     Snyder and his staff on community issues.
       Members of Knoxville Ministerial Alliance, the Knox County 
     Steering Committee for the Tennessee Bicentennial 
     Celebration, the Metropolitan Drug Commission's Faith 
     Committee and the ministerial board for East Tennessee 
     Children's Hospital.
       Chair of Leadership Knoxville Class of 2000's selection 
     committee.
       Awards include National Conference of Christians and Jews, 
     now known as the National Conference for Community and 
     Justice and the American Organization for Rehabilitation 
     through Training Federation based in Israel.

     

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