[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6561-H6562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WELCOMING RABBI MELVYN MAY, WEST END TEMPLE SINAI CONGREGATION, 
                           NEPONSIT, NEW YORK

  (Mr. WEINER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in welcoming 
Rabbi Melvyn May, who gave the invocation this morning. He is the 
spiritual leader of the West End Temple in Neponsit, New York. His path 
to that post took him through Connecticut, New Jersey and Brooklyn; and 
in each and every place he held positions of leadership in the 
community. He was someone who led the campaign for better understanding 
among our communities.
  When he arrived at Neponsit, he arrived at, frankly, a most troubled 
time in our community. He arrived in October, 2001, one month almost to 
the day after the horrific attack on the World Trade Center that took 
so many of our neighbors in Rockaway, and he arrived also one month 
before a terrible plane crash in Belle Harbor, a stone's throw from his 
congregation's home.
  During that time, Rabbi May, with dignity and with great 
understanding, led our community through that most difficult time. He 
has, in a relatively brief time, just about a year, become a force for 
healing and understanding throughout our community.
  At this time of the holidays in the Jewish faith, he has been someone 
who has also led a campaign for better understanding among our very 
diverse communities in New York City.
  I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in welcoming Rabbi May, 
and

[[Page H6562]]

we ask that his accomplishments be spread across the record of this 
great body so that they can be shared throughout the Nation.

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