[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E933-E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEWISH AMERICANS DURING JEWISH AMERICAN 
                             HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2006

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to recognize 
the contributions Jewish Americans have made throughout our Nation's 
history as we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. In 1654, the 
first Jewish settlers arrived in the New World searching for a place to 
practice their faith free from persecution and live in liberty. Since 
then, the United States has continued to serve as a haven for Jewish 
settlers seeking refuge from waves of anti-Semitic repression and 
persecution in Europe and around the world. Jewish American Heritage 
Month should serve to educate all Americans about the rich cultural 
heritage of the Jewish people and their important contributions to 
American culture and history.

[[Page E934]]

  The United States is better and stronger as a result of Jewish people 
from around the world choosing to become American citizens. Jewish 
Americans made invaluable contributions to our Nation's labor movement 
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Thousands of Jewish 
immigrants and their children who arrived in the United States during 
this time period earned their livings in sweatshops and factories in 
New York City, often working under horrific conditions. Many Jewish 
Americans played a key role in improving the working conditions for 
laborers, which led to collective bargaining and other advancements in 
the labor movement. Samuel Gompers, one of the founders and first 
president of the American Federation of Labor, earned his living in the 
crowded slums of New York as a cigar maker upon his arrival in the 
United States in 1863. Becoming highly skilled at his trade and earning 
the respect of his peers, he eventually moved up the ranks of the 
existing labor organization, transforming the structurally weak and 
ineffective Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Councils to the 
American Federation of Labor in 1886, which grew to represent over one 
million workers 6 years later.
  Many individuals within the American Jewish community also made 
important contributions to the Civil Rights movement. Jewish 
philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, who funded dozens of primary schools, 
secondary schools, and colleges for black youth, led the Jewish 
community in contributing to some 2,000 schools for black Americans, 
including Howard, Dillard and Fisk universities. At one time, 40 
percent of southern blacks were attending these schools. In addition, 
Jewish Americans like Abraham Joshua Heschel, a writer, rabbi and 
professor of theology at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America was 
outspoken on the subject of civil rights and marched arm-in-arm with 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Professor Ernst Borinski, a 
refugee from the Holocaust who came to America to teach at Taugaloo 
University, organized dinners at which blacks and whites sat next to 
each other, a simple act challenging segregation. Joel Elias Spingarn, 
a Jewish-American educator and literary critic, was a founder and one 
of the first Jewish leaders of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1913, as the organization's 
chairman of the board, he established the Spingarn medal, awarded 
annually for outstanding achievement by an African American. In 
addition, organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, American 
Jewish Congress, and Anti-Defamation League have actively promoted 
civil rights over the years.

  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that all Americans observe Jewish-American 
Heritage Month by initiating programs and activities that commemorate 
these and the many other significant contributions Jewish Americans 
have made throughout our Nation's history. Over the centuries, Jewish 
Americans have achieved great success in business, medicine, the arts, 
science and technology, and many other professions. These achievements 
have strengthened our country and helped shape our way of life. In 
their commitment to family, faith, and community, the Jewish people 
have made America a stronger and more democratic society.

                          ____________________