[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING PATTY CARLIS AS THIS YEAR'S WALLENBERG TRIBUTE HONOREE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Patty 
Carlis, as a community leader in the arts and interfaith understanding.
  At the 25th annual Wallenberg Tribute Dinner on Sunday, April 19, 
2009 Patty was recognized as this year's Wallenberg Tribute Honoree. 
The award, given by the Institute for Jewish Christian Understanding 
(IJCU) at Muhlenberg College, is named for Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish 
diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis 
during the Second World War. He was taken into Soviet custody just days 
after Budapest was liberated and was never again accounted for by 
Western sources. Each year since 1989, the Wallenberg Tribute has 
honored one or more local individuals who are recognized for their 
courageous moral action on behalf of others. Patty's lifetime of work 
makes her truly deserving of such an honor.
  Patty served as the IJCU's Schools Program Coordinator from 2000-2006 
and before that was responsible for creating the Youth and Prejudice 
Conference in 1995. The conference, held each spring on Muhlenberg 
College's Campus in Allentown, has reached over 15,000 students in the 
Lehigh Valley. Students are able to be a part of a live theatrical 
performance while learning valuable lessons about interfaith and 
cultural tolerance. By meeting with Holocaust survivors and relatives 
of survivors they learn firsthand about prejudice and bigotry. The 
conference teaches students valuable lessons about human rights and 
that their own dignity and that of others depends on the choices they 
make each day.
  Throughout her career, Patty has been able to combine her commitment 
to tolerance and interfaith understanding with her passion for the arts 
and education. Since 2000 she has been part of the theatre faculty of 
Muhlenberg College and each year leads her students in the production 
of the play The Library: the story of a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany. 
This play, which puts a human face on the history of the Holocaust, is 
performed at elementary schools across the Lehigh Valley each spring.
  Most recently, Patty has implemented after-school drama programs in 
the Allentown School District. Now students who attend Roosevelt 
Elementary, Central Elementary, and Trexler Middle School have had the 
opportunity to explore and express themselves through the arts under 
the guidance and supervision of Muhlenberg theatre, music and dance 
majors. Patty is passionate about the power of the arts to spark 
imaginations, motivate learning and develop life skills.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude 
to Patty Carlis for all her work to build bridges and connect 
communities through the arts in the Lehigh Valley, the United States, 
and the world. She has made our community extremely proud.

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