[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 156 (Friday, October 31, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO ROBERT AND SHIRLEY FORTINSKY FOR BEING HONORED AS ``AMUDEI 
        TZIBOR''--``PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY'' BY TEMPLE ISRAEL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 30, 2003

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the 
House of Representatives to Robert and Shirley Fortinsky as they are 
honored as ``Amudei Tzibor'' or ``Pillars of the Community'' at the 
81st Annual Dinner Meeting of Temple Israel on Sunday, November 2nd at 
the Woodlands Inn and Resort in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
  Mr. Speaker, Bob and Shirley Fortinsky have built successful 
businesses and have continued what is a family tradition of hard work 
and success, commitment to their community, and a focus on the value of 
education. They both have been long involved in Temple Israel and are 
noted for their philanthropy and community activism.
  Robert is a Past President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of 
Temple Israel. He was the Chairman of the 1972 United Jewish Appeal 
campaign, the 1985 Israel Bond campaign, and the 1989 Pennsylvania 
drive for the Chair of Jewish Studies at Penn State University. Bob is 
a past recipient of the B'nai B'rith Lodge Community Service Award and 
the Anti-Defamation League Distinguished Community Service Award.
  Shirley is affiliated with organizations focusing on community 
service, health and the arts. She serves on the Boards of Directors of 
the Association for the Blind, Family Service Association, the F. M. 
Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, and the Domestic Violence Service 
Center. The Wilkes-Barre Jewish Federation presented Shirley with a 
Distinguished Service Award in 1993.
  Bob and Shirley, with their deep respect for education, have donated 
Fortinsky Hall to Wilkes University, helped to create the Center for 
Technology, and provided the Fortinsky Auditorium to the Penn State 
Wilkes-Barre campus.
  A graduate of Penn State following service in the United States Army, 
Bob presently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Penn State 
University and is a past Chairman of the Board of the Penn State 
Wilkes-Barre campus. He is a member of the King's College Century Club, 
Wilkes University's John Wilkes Society, and the Mount Nittany Society 
of Penn State. Bob is also affiliated with The Luzerne National Bank, 
the International Textile Society, the Wyoming Business Club, and the 
Luzerne Foundation.
  They have two daughters, Jill Fortinsky Schwartz and Judith Null, who 
are lifelong members of Temple Israel. Shirley and Bob's seven 
grandchildren attended Temple Israel Religious School and celebrated 
their respective Bar and Bat Mitzvahs at the Temple.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and privilege to represent these 
community leaders and to recognize their commitment to the community.

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