[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BLACK/JEWISH FORUM OF BALTIMORE, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 7, 2003

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the 
Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore, Inc. (BLEWS) upon their 25th 
anniversary, an event that is being celebrated at BLEWS annual dinner 
meeting on November 19, 2003.
  Since its inception, BLEWS has acted to further understanding and 
cooperation between the African-American and Jewish communities in the 
Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Through a variety of programs and through 
dialogue, BLEWS has worked to overcome intolerance, discrimination, 
hate crimes and stereotypes. BLEWS has participated in the U.S. 
Attorney's Hate Crimes Task Force, assisted in defusing intergroup 
tensions at universities and helped community groups deal with hate 
crimes and diversity issues.
  For the past 5 years, BLEWS has focused on its Youth Initiative with 
funding from several foundations. The Youth Initiative has conducted 
intensive all-day workshops for African-American and Jewish high school 
students to expose them to each other's history and culture, to dispel 
stereotypes and to encourage attitudes of tolerance, understanding and 
cooperation. These youth also have been taken to museums, plays, films 
and other activities that encourage friendship, greater understanding 
and community service.
  Every spring, the high school students participate in a Jewish 
Passover/African-American Overcome Seder meal that celebrates the theme 
of freedom. Because of their outstanding work in intergroup relations, 
BLEWS was recognized by President Clinton as one of the ``President's 
Promising Practices In Race Relations.''
  I hope my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives will join 
me in saluting BLEWS, a model youth organization that is worth 
replicating elsewhere in the United States.

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