[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 25, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO RABBI MICHAEL ROBINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 25, 2006

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Rabbi 
Michael Robinson who died July 20, 2006, surrounded by friends and 
family at his home in Sebastopol, California.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the second time I have risen to honor this 
unique man who has dedicated his life to the cause of social justice at 
home and around the world. On the last occasion, several years ago 
Rabbi Robinson received a civil liberties award from the ACLU of Sonoma 
County recognizing a lifetime of achievements and his passionate 
advocacy for civil rights. From the American civil rights movement to 
the Nicaraguan Contra war to the Israel-Palestinian conflict Michael 
Robinson has been on the front lines promoting peace and the 
improvement of humanity.
  Born in North Carolina, Michael received his B.A. from the University 
of Cincinnati and attended North Carolina State College before 
enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He served in the Pacific and 
became a pacifist immediately after this experience.
  In 1952, after completing a course of study at Hebrew Union College 
in Cincinnati, Michael became the first North Carolina native to be 
ordained as a rabbi. He later earned his doctoral degree from the New 
York Theological Seminary and served in temples in Seattle and Pomona 
as well as 29 years as an activist leader at Temple Israel in 
Westchester, New York. During the civil rights movement, the synagogue 
raised money to help rebuild the black churches that had been burned in 
the South and finance the van used by the Freedom Riders to tour the 
South. Michael marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, and 
expressed his convictions with these words: ``When I was ten years old 
I began sitting on the back seat of the bus with `colored people.' I 
never returned to the front seat.''
  After moving to Sonoma County with his wife Ruth, Michael served 
Shomrei Torah, and is credited with growing the congregation from 30 
families to now the largest Jewish congregation (175) in Santa Rosa, 
CA. Retired since 1996, Rabbi Robinson holds the title of Rabbi 
Emeritus at both Temple Israel and Shomrei Torah.
  In addition to promoting affirmative action, same sex marriage, 
affordable housing, and other equality issues, Michael has worked 
against nuclear war, apartheid, and all forms of injustice. He is known 
locally for his involvement in the Sonoma County Task Force on 
Homelessness, Children's Village, the Living Wage Coalition, Habitat 
for Humanity, the Sonoma County Peace and Justice Center, and the 
Sonoma Land Trust.
  A founding Member of Angry White Guys for Affirmative Action in 1996, 
Michael's words still resonate: ``I hope that my anger will not 
dissipate until justice is done and every man, woman and child has 
equal access to all the privileges of a democratic society and receives 
equal respect.''
  Michael is survived by his wife Ruth, his sister Leah Karpen, his 
daughters Jude and Sharon, and 3 grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I share Rabbi Michael Robinson's hope that we as a 
nation can become better people and create a just society. And I join 
with his family and friends in the belief that we can best honor his 
life by making the work of peace and social justice a priority in our 
own lives.

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