[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 35 (Thursday, March 11, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MRS. HERTA ADLER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 2010

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mrs. 
Herta Adler, known to Memphians as the ``matriarch of the local Jewish 
community.'' She was born to Adolf and Mathilde Arfeld on September 27, 
1915, in Diez, Germany.
  Herta Adler was 24 when she witnessed the burning of her synagogue on 
Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass. That night rioters burned or 
destroyed 267 synagogues; thousands of homes and businesses were 
vandalized or destroyed; at least 91 Jewish people were killed, and 
25,000 to 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps, including many 
who were friends or family of Herta Adler.
  In 1940, Mrs. Adler was permitted to move to Lisbon, Portugal, where 
her brother was in business, because the government granted residency 
to family members of established residents. From Portugal, Mrs. Adler 
made her way to New York City, where she met her husband, Dr. Justin H. 
Adler. They married in 1943 and relocated to Memphis not long after.
  Herta and Justin Adler were well-known as avid collectors of art and 
Judaica. Mrs. Adler, in particular, was known as a philanthropist who 
supported all kinds of artistic and cultural organizations, reminding 
others that ``charity is the gift that we give for having a good 
life.'' In the early 1990s, the Adlers donated a large collection of 
Jewish ritual art to Temple Israel, which is located in Memphis, TN, 
helping to create the only Judaica museum in the region. In 1992, the 
Adlers also contributed their extensive pewter collection, which spans 
400 years, to Dixon Gallery and Gardens, where it is part of the 
permanent collection.
  Even greater than Mrs. Adler's passion and appreciation for art was 
Mrs. Adler's interest in the people around her and her dedication to 
her synagogue. She befriended and supported several young Memphis 
artists and centered much of her life on Temple Israel, where she was a 
member for more than 60 years. Mrs. Adler and her husband were also 
founders of Beth Sholom Synagogue, a Conservative Synagogue in Memphis.
  Mrs. Herta Adler passed away on Friday, February 12, 2010, and was 
laid to rest on Monday, February 15, 2010. She was 94 years old. She is 
survived by her daughters Hedda A. Schwartz, a residential and 
commercial real estate executive, and Susan Adler Thorp, a respected 
journalist, and her son Michael Adler, an accomplished attorney--all of 
Memphis. I will always remember Mrs. Adler for her devotion to shaping 
the cultural and Jewish life of Memphis, Tennessee.

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