[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5728-H5729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEWISH PEOPLE TO AMERICA

  (Mr. SARBANES asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Jewish American 
Heritage Month to recognize the contributions the Jewish people have 
made to our country.
  I have come to understand that to the Jewish people, the word 
``heritage'' has deep meaning. It is not simply a sense of pride or 
history. It is a belief that each person should in some way improve the 
world. The often quoted Rabbi Hillel asked the question, ``If I am not 
for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, who am I?''
  It is this same set of values that brings Jewish groups to the Hill 
advocating not just for so-called Jewish issues, but for issues that 
affect everyone; better education, better healthcare, more protections 
for the environment, free speech, and separation of church and state. 
The Jewish community feels a special obligation to repair the world, 
one little piece at a time, for all people, not just their own.
  I am grateful to the organizations in my own district for their 
contributions to our community. From providing educational and social 
services, to involvement in local and national policy,

[[Page H5729]]

the commitment to improving our society is one of the many values I 
have come to respect in the Jewish community in Baltimore and across 
this Nation.

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