[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2780-E2781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             LEONID NEVZLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 17, 2009

  Mr. WEXLER. Madam Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues' 
attention the achievements of Leonid Nevzlin, a person who deserves 
recognition as a champion of the humanities in Russia, a civic leader 
in his adopted homeland Israel, and a philanthropist across three 
continents. I am proud to pay tribute to this extraordinary man, who 
has dedicated his life and his resources to supporting important social 
efforts and has provided leadership to the Jewish Diaspora around the 
world. His generous support for numerous organizations has made him an 
example to his countrymen for taking a social stand and making giving 
and sharing a way of life.
  Mr. Nevzlin has been instrumental in introducing democratic reforms 
and social responsibility to the former Soviet Union. He was directly 
involved in a number of projects to support Russian President Boris 
Yeltsin in an effort to boost civil society and democratic freedoms 
during the Russian Federation's transition from communism. In June 
2003, after helping to establish several foundations arid pro-democracy 
organizations, Mr. Nevzlin was elected President of the Russian 
National Humanities University. This university, which was created to 
foster the country's new liberal-minded elite, has received an 
unprecedented $10 million in financial support. In the autumn of 2003, 
Mr. Nevzlin was forced to leave Russia, at which time he become a 
citizen of Israel and began to expand his efforts on behalf of the 
Jewish people.
  Mr. Nevzlin's private manner belies the fact that he is one of the 
most important international Jewish leaders today. His continuous 
efforts to give a contemporary meaning to the concept of ``Jewish 
peoplehood''--primarily through his deep involvement in the Museum of 
Jewish Diaspora in Tel Aviv--has re-energized Jewish communities and 
organizations around the world. Mr. Nevzlin is also one of the largest 
and earliest supporters of the Tom Lantos Foundation for Human Rights, 
established to honor our distinguished colleague's memory and to carry 
on his work for human rights around the world. In recognition of his 
activism and leadership, Mr. Nevzlin was recently named this year's 
chairperson of the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities, 
the largest gathering of the Jewish community, which will take place in 
Washington, DC in the fall.
  It is for all these reasons, Madam Speaker, that I believe it is 
fitting that we recognize Leonid Nevzlin's commitment to advancing the 
cause of civil society and human rights and his leadership and generous 
support of organizations dedicated to serving the needs of others.

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