[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 191 (Wednesday, December 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13315-S13316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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       TRIBUTE TO CANADIAN SENATOR JERAHMIEL ``JERRY'' GRAFSTEIN

 Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I wish to draw the attention of 
my colleagues to the retirement of Jerahmiel S. Grafstein from the 
Canadian Senate.
  As a member and now as Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I have 
had the privilege to know and work with Jerry Grafstein over the years 
through participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization 
for Security and Cooperation in Europe--the OSCE. I know that my 
colleague from Ohio, Senator Voinovich, also knows Jerry well, having 
just worked with him on a resolution at this year's Annual Session of 
the Assembly in Vilnius, Lithuania, on combating anti-Semitism. I 
suspect that many of my other Senate colleagues have also worked with 
him over the years, as have many of our colleagues in the House of 
Representatives.

[[Page S13316]]

  Anybody who has met Senator Grafstein immediately recognizes him as a 
man of tremendous energy, deep commitment and brilliant mind. 
Commenting on Jerry's career, one of his Canadian Senate colleagues 
noted the daunting task of paying tribute ``to a force of nature 
disguised as a person.'' A successful lawyer, businessman and member of 
the Liberal Party, he was summoned to the Canadian Senate in 1984. 
Jerry Grafstein's accomplishments over the next 25 years of public 
service are much more than I can relay here.
  I do, however, want to highlight Jerry's prominent work with the 56 
countries, 300 member OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Serving for 6 years 
as the Assembly's treasurer and then, with me since 2007, as one of 
nine Vice Presidents, Jerry has understood the potential of this 
multilateral parliamentary forum to promote human rights, democracy and 
tolerance. Such a vital forum, however, does not just magically appear 
for the world's benefit. Someone has to take the time to make it 
function by participating as an officer, attending countless 
organizational meetings and, for us and our Canadian neighbors, 
traveling frequently across the Atlantic to do so. Jerry was one who 
rose to the challenge and then some.
  Even as he helped on organizational matters, Jerry Grafstein found 
more time than most others to focus on substance. First and foremost, 
he has helped to lead the charge against rising anti-Semitism across 
Europe and around the world. Diplomacy has a tendency to soften the 
criticism and downplay the negative, often until it is too late, but 
Jerry has helped to ensure that the OSCE did not shy away from dealing 
directly with this and other manifestations of hate and prejudice that 
dangerously confront far too many societies. Today, thanks to the 
vigilance of Jerry Grafstein and others, efforts to promote greater 
tolerance are now a solid, ongoing and vital aspect of the OSCE's work.
  This distinguished Senator from Canada also found time to participate 
and help lead OSCE PA missions observing elections and referenda in 
places like Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Montenegro. By being an 
international observer, he became a witness to history and, in my view, 
helped history forward and make the world a more democratic place.
  In all his public endeavors, Jerry Grafstein has been a close friend 
of the United States of America. He has helped over the years to 
develop the bilateral dialogue between the U.S. Congress and the 
Canadian Parliament. He has come here to Washington on many occasions, 
including as a participant in Helsinki Commission events. He has always 
made clear that he is Canadian and proud of the country he represents, 
but that has never kept him from developing areas of common interest 
and seeking points of agreement even on some issues where our national 
views may otherwise diverge.
  Jerry Grafstein has been and will remain a close personal friend as 
well, always concerned, always engaging, never pretentious. I wish him 
and his wife Carole the very best. Although he deserves some time off, 
I am confident that he will remain prominent in the life of the vibrant 
city of Toronto.
  In noting the many accomplishments of Jerahmiel Grafstein and 
thanking him for his commitment to public service, I respectfully 
borrow the Canadian Senate's tradition and join his colleagues in 
saying: ``Hear, Hear!'' On a personal level, I believe I speak for 
numerous colleagues of my own in saying that Jerry will be missed, and 
always welcome to come and visit.

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