[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 63 (Friday, May 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RABBI LEONARD TROUPP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2005

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the leadership and service 
of Rabbi Leonard Troupp, who is retiring after 18 years as the 
spiritual leader of Temple Beth David in Commack, New York.
  All of us in Congress rely on many religious leaders in our 
communities for guidance and inspiration. But Rabbi Troupp transcends 
that role. For me, he has been and will continue to be a dear friend. I 
have turned to him as a Member of Congress, and I have turned to him as 
a member of his congregation. I have solicited his advice on the 
profound public policy challenges that confront our government, and I 
have listened to his words on the personal decisions and choices we 
make every day in our private lives.
  Rabbi Leonard B. Troupp was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion in 1973. He is a Past President of the 
Long Island Association of Reform Rabbis, and has also served on the 
Board of the New York Association of Reform Rabbis.
  Rabbi Troupp's many passions have forever enriched the lives of his 
congregants and others. As a result of his motivation, Temple Beth 
David collects over 15,000 pounds of food for the hungry each year. 
Through his impossible dream, 1997 saw the reunion of a Holocaust Torah 
with a survivor, Petr Herrmann, whose father read from that very same 
Torah scroll. Rabbi Troupp has been an outspoken and passionate 
advocate for human rights and civil rights; for a strong Israel; for a 
fair and just America. He mobilized his congregation in a letter 
writing campaign to decry the rising Anti-Semitism in Europe. Through 
his hard work, he and his wife, Michelle, eventually hand-delivered 
thousands of letters to a Presidential Representative in the West Wing.
  His sermons, candid and sometimes controversial, have been spoken 
from his heart and have touched the hearts of those who have heard his 
words.
  Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Troupp dedicated his career to making our 
community stronger, better and fairer for people of all faiths and 
backgrounds. He is not simply my Rabbi; he is a teacher to a joyously 
diverse community in New York's Second Congressional District. His 
teachings, his strength and his commitment will continue to guide my 
constituents and me. In that sense, he has made an indelible imprint on 
the fabric of Long Island, New York, and our nation.

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