[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1648]]
                    PROJECT ROFEH RECOGNIZES LEADERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. FRANK. Mr. Speaker, for several years I have had the very 
distinct honor of sharing with our colleagues information about the 
important charitable work done by ROFEH International and the New 
England Chassidic Center. Under the leadership of Grand Rabbi Levi Y. 
Horowitz, the New England Chassidic Center and ROFEH International do 
an excellent job of helping people take full advantage of the wonderful 
medical facilities we have in Boston. Through their efforts, families 
are able to come to Boston when members of those families need medical 
care, and find their needs tended to so that they can focus on the 
important job of being supportive of that individual in need of medical 
care. I am very proud that this innovative program that does so much 
for people at a time of their-greatest need is headquartered in the 
district I am privileged to represent, and I am pleased to put here 
into the Record of our proceedings a list of those individuals who are 
receiving awards from ROFEH at a November 10 dinner, in the hopes that 
this will inspire people elsewhere in the country to emulate this 
creative work.
  Mr. Speaker, here is the list of the award winners and a brief 
description of their efforts which does not do full justice to them, 
but does give some indication of how important they have been to 
ROFEH's vital work.
  Dr. Eugene Braunwald is the Distinguished Hersey Professor of 
Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Faculty Dean and Chief Academic 
Officer of the Partners HealthCare System founded by the Brigham and 
Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals. He is the only 
cardiologist who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. In 
2000 the living Nobel Prize winners in medicine voted Dr. Braunwald as 
``the person who has contributed the most to cardiology in recent 
years''. The doctor is a Holocaust survivor. Dr. Eugene Braunwald, will 
receive the coveted ``Lillian and Harry Andler Memorial Award''.
  Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gann in recognition of their devotion to ROFEH 
International will have the newly renovated ROFEH International 
facility named in their honor, ``The Joseph and Rae Gann ROFEH 
International Residence Facility''. Mr. and Mrs. Gann have been 
affiliated with the Bostoner Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Levi Y. Horowitz for 
over 50 years and they continue to be strong supporters of ROFEH 
International.
  Others to be bestowed with special laudatory communal awards are Mr. 
Irwin Chafetz and Mr. A. Joseph Stern.
  Mr. Irwin Chafetz is the director of Interface Group-Massachusetts, 
Inc., a privately held company that owns and operates GWV 
International.
  He has been instrumental in the development of ROFEH International 
and the renovation of its residential facility for the benefit of the 
families and the desperately ill, who come to Boston for medical help.
  Mr. Chafetz received a Boston University Distinguished Alumni Award 
in 2000, and was honored by the Massachusetts Anti-Defamation League in 
2001. He is a member of the executive board of the American Israel 
Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and is an active participant at Chabad 
House of Lexington.
  Mr. Chafetz grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He lives in 
Brookline with Roberta his wife. They have two sons and four 
grandchildren.
  Mr. A. Joseph Stern is a developer of residential and commercial 
construction. Mr. Stern's list of accomplishments as a builder of 
community needs is truly impressive. Despite his busy schedule, he has 
devoted and continues to devote substantial amounts of time, effort and 
material resources to a host of worthy causes.
  Mr. Stern has a long family connection with the Bostoner Rebbe, 
Shlita. Recently he has been most helpful in the Rebbe's effort to 
reconstruct the ROFEH International building, making it possible to 
house the desperately ill and their families.
  Mr. Stern continues to live up to his reputation as a builder of 
Torah and Chesed. He credits his accomplishments to the traditions 
handed down by his parents and grandparents.
  Mr. Irwin Chafetz and Mrs. A. Joseph Stern will be presented with the 
ROFEH International Master Builders Award.

                          ____________________