[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3855-H3862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz)
is recognized for 60 minutes.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to proudly commemorate the fifth
annual Jewish American Heritage Month, which takes place in communities
across the country each May.
Jewish American Heritage Month promotes awareness of the
contributions American Jews have made to the fabric of American life--
from technology and literature, to entertainment, politics and to
medicine.
It is a concept that was brought to me by leaders in the south
Florida Jewish community 5 years ago when I was first elected to serve
in this body. It was an idea born of the concern that, although there
have been 355 years of Jewish life in America, there is still a
tremendous lack of understanding about Jewish culture in that Jews are
both a religion and a heritage in terms of our traditions and our
community. Because we are less than 2 percent of the population in
America, most people in America have either never met a Jewish person
or have rarely, if ever, interacted with a Jewish person, so our
traditions are often a foreign concept.
It was felt by the leaders in my Jewish community that, in having a
month dedicated to cultural and educational programming, particularly
in non-Jewish communities, it would raise awareness, foster
understanding and deal with some of the concerns over the fact that, of
the bias incidents that have been documented by the FBI and by the
Anti-Defamation League, literally 65 percent of those bias incidents in
recent years have been anti-Jewish bias. If we can use Jewish American
Heritage Month, now in its 5th year, to foster understanding and
tolerance, then hopefully we can reduce anti-Semitism and bigotry in
this country.
As we are well aware, the foundation of our country is built upon the
strengths of our unique cultures and backgrounds. Yet, while our
diversity is America's strength, ignorance and intolerance about the
culture and about the traditions and accomplishments of the Jewish
people are, unfortunately, still really prevalent.
Again, Jews make up only 2 percent of our Nation's population, and as
a result, we need to make sure that people in America understand that
there have been so many different things and that so much of American
history has been touched by a significant contribution of American
Jews.
Tonight, my colleagues who are joining me on the floor to acknowledge
and to mark the 5th annual Jewish American Heritage Month are going to
talk about some of the impacts that the Jewish community has had
throughout American history.
It is my privilege to yield to my friend, the gentleman from
Colorado, Jared Polis.
{time} 2115
Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentlelady from Florida.
I am here tonight to talk about the Jewish history in the West and in
Colorado. Colorado was still an untamed wilderness when gold was
discovered near Pike's Peak in 1858. The 59ers, fortune hunters from
across the country, came to our State, growing the population and
building a diverse economy. Jews, too, were part of that quest.
Over the millennia, our Jewish people have suffered many exiles,
often wandering and migrating from one country to another, frequently
meeting
[[Page H3856]]
with hostility and hardship. It was in that spirit that Jews immigrated
to the American West, where we established viable communities and
maintained the Jewish heritage, despite great obstacles.
The unpredictability of gold mining and a growing demand for supplies
encouraged many of the Jewish 59ers to establish small business in new
towns and mining camps throughout Colorado. Over the next two decades,
Jews settled in Leadville, Cripple Creek, Aspen, Trinidad, Colorado
Springs, Pueblo, Central City, and Denver.
One of the first Jewish pioneers was Fred Zadek Salomon, who arrived
in Auraria in June of 1859. He founded and became manager of the first
general mercantile company in Colorado. The two were later joined by a
third brother, Adolph Salomon, who became the first Jewish elected
official in Colorado as a trustee of Greeley, Colorado.
Another one of our famous early Jewish Coloradans was Frances
Wisebart Jacobs, who was born in 1843 and died in 1892. She was born in
Kentucky to Bavarian immigrants, but she moved to Denver when she was
young. She helped organize and was president of the Hebrew Ladies'
Benevolent Society, and she joined with the city's Congregationalist
ministers and Catholic Archdiocese to create a multifaith charity
organization.
She also left her mark on tuberculosis relief, which Denver later
became known for, as one of the first people to conceive of a free
hospital for the medically indigent tuberculosis victims, for which
Denver later became known.
Frances Jacobs is memorialized as one of 16 Colorado pioneers and the
only woman and the only Jew in a stained glass window in the Colorado
state capital rotunda. In 1994, she was inducted into the National
Women's Hall of Fame, and in 2000 she was awarded the Denver Mayor's
Millennium Award.
From its humble beginnings, the Colorado Jewish population has grown;
in our generation, with immigrants from the east coast, as my parents
from Brooklyn and Peekskill, New York, moved to Colorado in the 1970s,
along with many of their fellow Jews, and more recently immigrants from
California, Jews finding a new home in my hometown of Boulder, which
when I was young and growing up, had one synagogue. It now has six
synagogues.
The town of Denver, with a longer and more established Jewish
community, also continues to thrive with the Jewish cultural and
religious life across the region.
I rise to proudly recognize the role of Jews in the development of
Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Mr. Polis. Your comments
are such a perfect example of the unique contributions that American
Jews have made in our history, and you specifically highlighted
examples that most people would not have been familiar with. I would
bet that Coloradans are not familiar with that history. So thank you
very much for coming down and sharing that with us this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I want to share a story that was an experience that I
lived through. For me as a young Jewish woman growing up in a
predominantly Jewish community in New York, on Long Island, growing up,
and then moving to south Florida and spending my adult life in a
significant, large Jewish community, one would think that I had spent
most of my life without experiencing anti-Semitism, and I have not
experienced much in the way of overt anti-Semitism.
But I want to share a story with my colleagues from when I was in
college at the University of Florida. I was standing in the hallway of
my dorm the first week of school and talking to another young woman who
I had just met, and she saw my last name on the door, because there are
signs on the doors with your names on them at the beginning of each
semester in most college dorms.
Somehow the subject of religion came up. I shared with her that I was
Jewish, and her response, she was from a tiny town in north Florida,
and it was evident after her comments that she had never met a Jewish
person before, because she said to me, ``You're Jewish? I have seen
pictures, but I have never seen a real one.''
You know, growing up on Long Island, and that being my first exposure
to someone who had not met a Jewish person, I had heard that there were
people in America who thought that Jews had horns, and we were somehow
not human. But, fortunately, I realized at the time that that was
simply a reflection of the fact that she had not had experience with
Jews or the Jewish community. And as we got to know each other, we
lived on the hall together all throughout our freshman year, we got to
be very good friends, and she realized that I was human and that I
didn't have horns.
But it is really important, and that story and that experience helped
me understand why we had a need for Jewish American Heritage Month,
just like the experience of Black History Month and the years and years
of success of that cultural celebration that we have in February, and
Asian Pacific Islander Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month. It is
important that we celebrate the diversity in this country and that all
Americans learn about the success and contributions that all different
cultures have weaved together to make America the strong, vibrant
Nation that we are today.
Again, I am really pleased to be joined by my colleagues who are here
with me on the floor tonight.
With that, I yield to my good friend and next door neighbor, a
gentleman who has been doing a fantastic job representing his
constituents in south Florida and someone who has spent many, many
years as a leader in the organized Jewish community, Congressman Ron
Klein from the great State of Florida.
Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentlelady, and I thank the
gentlelady for bringing this forward as an important part of our
American fabric, as she talked about Jewish American Heritage Month as
just one of many that make up the fabric of the United States, the
people of the United States; the fact in many ways we are an immigrant
population, but we are very diverse, both in religion, background,
ethnicity, and it is a way of celebration that we are celebrating
Jewish American Heritage Month, and we will have the opportunity to do
that tomorrow and for weeks to come.
Being from Cleveland originally, Cleveland, Ohio, I grew up in a
family that had roots. My family came to the United States in the
twenties from Europe, from a persecuted background in countries where
they weren't welcome as Jews. Of course, we know the history of what
happened during the Holocaust.
But they came to the United States and did what most immigrant
families did: They congregated among themselves initially, went to
small towns, figured it was important to get an education, started
little businesses and things like that.
My dad had a variety store, which is, for those of you who remember
what that is, sort of like a Woolworth's, but a small, independent
store started by my grandfather during the Great Depression, and then
it was a family business all the way through. My dad taught me all
about what it was to be part of that American fabric.
Being Jewish was unique where I came from, but not totally unique.
There was a Jewish community in Cleveland. I eventually, with my wife,
moved to Florida. Obviously, in Florida there was a larger Jewish
community where I moved to. But it was only one generation before that
that in that same community where I grew up, there were restrictions on
where people could live. There were restrictions in deeds where you
could purchase a home or a condominium, and they didn't allow various
minorities, not just Jews, but African Americans and various others, to
go into those communities and buy properties. It was only one
generation before I moved there.
So it is really sort of in our own lifetime that all these things
have changed. Of course, we know as Americans there is still more work
to be done with various forms of discrimination.
But I do want to mention a couple of names and sort of have some fun
tonight. First of all, the first Jewish Member of Congress was from
Florida. In 1841, David Levy Yulee became the first Jew to serve in
Congress. It was obviously even before the Civil War. He eventually
went on to serve in the United States Senate. Then it was a
[[Page H3857]]
long, long time after that before another Jewish resident from the
State of Florida came back to represent the community in Congress.
But I am going to mention a few entertainment people, because I think
those are some of the fun people. Many of you remember Sandy Koufax.
Now, this is not entertainment, this is sports, but one of the great,
truly great pitchers of all time, Los Angeles Dodgers. I think many of
you remember him.
He refused to pitch on Yom Kippur, which is the most significant
holiday of the year for the Jewish community. It was the World Series.
He made a conscious choice and sort of sent reverberations throughout
the sports community. How could he make this decision? But he became a
folk hero for many people to say he stood up for himself. He stood up
for his religion, he stood up for his family, and although he wasn't a
religious man, he did something that was quite unique at that time.
Steven Spielberg. How many of you know Steven Spielberg and the touch
he has had on all of our lives, with the movies and so many important
cultural things that he has been a contributor to? He obviously for
many reasons, not only as a great film director and producer, he has
also taken it upon himself to set up the Shoa Foundation and has funded
it with others as a way of taking the written testimony of people who
survived the Holocaust, to preserve it forever. That, to me, is a great
contribution.
Groucho Marx, we all know Groucho Marx. I won't do the imitation
because I see my colleague from Denver, from Colorado, over there is
going to make fun of me if I do that. But Groucho Marx is truly one of
the greats. And, of course, it was all the Marx brothers. They just
left such a mark in that time. They came from that background of that
early vaudeville era and sort of expressed that great sense of humor.
So there are so many, and I know my colleagues are going to mention
one after the other here. But I am just happy to be here tonight to
celebrate this important milestone, to celebrate it every year as part
of this community, to talk about it, to learn about it, and to get our
community to talk about it and teach others as well.
I thank the gentlelady for bringing us all together tonight.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much. I thank the gentleman for
his remarks and for taking us through an important aspect of Jewish
life in America.
Now it is my pleasure to yield to another colleague from the West,
and a leader on the House Rules Committee who has a Rules Committee
meeting that is imminent that he needs to get to, and a leader in the
Jewish community as well, Congressman Ed Perlmutter from the State of
Colorado.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. I thank my friends from Florida.
I wanted to follow Mr. Polis and just talk about the Rocky Mountain
West, which really did receive Jewish immigrants with open arms.
Sometimes there was discrimination, but generally it was open arms. In
New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, ranching, farming, mining, construction,
you name it, the Jewish community was involved in it. Merchants, oil
and gas, the Manhattan Project down in Los Alamos in New Mexico.
So, my family, a great-great-great uncle immigrated from the Ukraine
in the late 1800s, was part of a mining commune above a little town
called Center, Colorado, remained in that mining commune for about 3
years, realized he didn't like being at about 11,000 feet in the
mountains of Colorado, moved to the Denver area, where he had a small
store, and that uncle then attracted the others who immigrated from the
Ukraine. So the youngest brother came first, then the next brother, the
next brother, and the next brother. My grandfather was the oldest. He
was the last to arrive from the old country.
But the Denver area in Colorado really did allow people a chance to
really show what they were made of, and the Jewish community in
Colorado, in the Denver area, has flourished over the years. It has
been very much a part of the fabric of the community in charitable
efforts, as well as education and those kinds of things. And the
heritage that we are talking about tonight, really at least in the
Rocky Mountain West, the Jewish community and the Rocky Mountain West
are inseparable.
I just thank my friend for organizing our Special Order hour, and I
yield back to her.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Mr. Perlmutter. We
appreciate your contribution to our effort to raise awareness and
celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to American history.
It is now my pleasure to yield to one of our newest Members, who as
of just yesterday is no longer the most junior Member of the House of
Representatives. He held that title for, oh, about a month. He is the
neighbor to the other side of my congressional district, and did a
fantastic job as a State senator, was another leader in the organized
Jewish community in south Florida, someone who has been a staunch
advocate for Israel and for issues that are important to the Jewish
community, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Deutch.
Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the American Jewish
community's many contributions to our Nation's society and culture. I
would like to thank my dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, for her outstanding dedication to preserving Jewish
history and culture in America.
Jewish American Heritage Month gives all Americans the opportunity to
recognize Jewish Americans as leaders in every facet of America's life,
from athletics, entertainment, the arts and academia, to business,
government, and our Armed Forces.
{time} 2130
Florida's 19th District is home to the largest, one of the largest
Jewish American populations in this country.
I'm privileged to represent many first generation Americans whose
parents arrived on our shores seeking a better life. Many of these
Jewish Americans are members of the Greatest Generation. They stepped
up to serve in World War II and rebuilt this Nation after the Great
Depression. In fact, over half a million Jewish Americans fought for
the United States in World War II, and 11,000 of them perished fighting
for our country.
For those who arrived in Europe as the Holocaust raged on, this war
became very personal. As a quote from a Jewish Air Force officer reads,
As a Jew, it was Hitler and me. That is the way I picture the war.
While the contributions of Jewish American soldiers during World War
II cannot be understated, the truth is that Jewish American soldiers
have been fighting for this country since the Revolutionary War.
Colonel Isaac Franks and Major Benjamin Nones were aides de camp to
General George Washington. Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, who served in
the War of 1812, was court-martialed six times due to his defiance of
anti-Semitism. And by the time the Civil War broke out, there were
150,000 Jews in the United States, with 7,000 fighting for the North
and 3,000 fighting for the South. Senator Judah Benjamin even served as
Secretary of State for the Confederacy. And although Jews only made up
2 percent of the population during World War I, they made up 6 percent
of the United States Armed Forces.
Jewish Americans have served in Korea and Vietnam. They've served in
Operation Desert Storm and in countless operations around the globe.
They're among the brave young men and women who served after September
11 in the war on terror and who are serving bravely and valiantly in
Iraq and Afghanistan, even as we speak.
And as we approach Memorial Day, I recognize those Jewish war
veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, like Major Stuart
Wolfer, a Jewish American major from my district, a loving father of
three daughters who was killed by rocket fire in Baghdad 2 years ago.
Since the Congressional Medal of Honor, Jewish Americans have been
awarded this high honor for their dedicated service to this Nation
since it was created. Six Jewish Americans received the award in the
Civil War, two in the Indian wars in the late 1800s, three in World War
I, two in World War II, one in the Vietnam conflict.
I am proud to also note that Florida's 19th District is home to one
of the
[[Page H3858]]
largest chapters of the Jewish War Veterans of America. These brave men
and women embody true patriotism, and their dedication to this great
country is captured in their mission statement, which reads:
We, citizens of the United States of America of the Jewish faith who
served in the wars of the United States of America, in order that we
may be of greater service to our country and to one another, associate
ourselves together for the following purposes:
To maintain true allegiance to the United States of America;
To foster and perpetuate true Americanism;
To combat whatever tends to impair the efficiency and permanency of
our free institutions;
To uphold the fair name of the Jew and fight his or her battles
wherever unjustly assailed;
To encourage the doctrine of universal liberty, equal rights, and
full justice to all men and women;
To combat the powers of bigotry and darkness wherever originating and
whatever their target; and
To preserve the spirit of comradeship by mutual helpfulness to
comrades and their families.
The mission of this wonderful organization holds a special
significance to me. I'm the proud son of a Jewish war veteran who
volunteered as a teenager to serve our country and fought in the Battle
of the Bulge, where he earned a Purple Heart.
My dad's no longer with us today, but with every veteran that I meet,
I hear his voice and remember his love of country. It's a love of
country that so many Jewish Americans hold in their hearts. Those who
practice the Jewish faith hold in high regard a value for service, for
justice and progress for all people.
These are values also embedded in the very fabric of this country.
And it's for this reason today, on the fifth anniversary of Jewish
American Heritage Month, that I am so proud to recognize the Jewish
American men and women who, for centuries, not only have shaped our
national culture, but have defended our people in times of great
challenge.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Congresswoman Wasserman
Schultz for arranging this wonderful evening.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you very much, Mr. Deutch, and I'm
really pleased that you chose to highlight in your remarks the
contributions that our Jewish war veterans have made.
Last year, I think it was last year, Ms. Schwartz, last year, we
marked, the Jewish Members, a number of us and some non-Jewish Members,
marked Jewish American Heritage Month by taking a trip to the Museum of
Jewish Military History, which is based in Washington, D.C., and it was
a museum that I was not familiar with, didn't know existed. And we had
an opportunity, all the way back to the Revolutionary War, to see the
contributions of Jews throughout our military history and how they
proudly, so many of them, as you said, hundreds of thousands, proudly
fought side by side with their fellow American citizens to defend the
freedom that we continue to enjoy today.
So thank you so much for acknowledging that.
It's now my privilege to yield to my good friend, the gentlelady from
Pennsylvania, who has been a leader, whom I've shared many a
conversation with in the time we have served in the Congress together.
We were elected in the same year and both served as State legislators,
championing many of the same cases. She was a leader on health care in
the Senate in Pennsylvania and has been a leader in the Jewish
community in her own right, and I'm so glad you've joined us here
tonight.
The gentlelady from Pennsylvania (Ms. Schwartz).
Ms. SCHWARTZ. I thank the gentlewoman, and I'm very pleased to join
you this evening. Thank you for organizing it, and thank you, of
course, for your sponsorship of the resolution that created the Jewish
American Heritage Month. And I am very pleased, as the only Jewish
member of the Pennsylvania delegation, to be able to speak tonight a
bit about the contributions of Pennsylvania's Jewish communities, in
particular, Philadelphia's Jewish community and the contributions we
made.
I would be remiss if I didn't also say that I appreciate our
colleague's comments before about Jewish veterans. And as many of my
colleagues know, my father was a veteran serving in the Korean War, and
certainly those experiences have helped inform who I am.
But this evening, I did want to talk a bit about some other subjects,
and, in particular, let me start by saying that William Penn, who
founded Pennsylvania in 1682 as a colony, did so making sure that the
colony was based on religious tolerance.
The Philadelphia Jewish community has been around for a very long
time and really came really expecting and being honored to be able to
experience that religious tolerance, particularly in Philadelphia, and
has been a part of Jewish Philadelphia and the Philadelphia community
for generations. As early as 1735, Nathan Levy established himself in
the import/export trade with his cousin David Franks in the bustling
Philadelphia port. Well, today the Philadelphia port is still bustling,
and it is one of the busiest ports in the Nation.
Philadelphia Jews have contributed to our national fabric through
sciences, public service and through the arts. Just to name a few--and
it's always risky to just name a few, but I will--philanthropist Sam
Guggenheim and Watergate counsel Samuel Dash, Science Nobel Prize
recipient Howard Temin, and the comic Larry Fine all were graduates of
Philadelphia's public magnet school, Central High School, where my sons
went to school, and certainly proud Philadelphians, and they are among
the members of Philadelphia's Jewish community. Philadelphia continues
to proudly distinguish itself as an important epicenter of American
Jewish life.
As a new Member of Congress, I was very honored and proud to support
Temple Beth Shalom, which is located on Old York Road in Elkins Park,
Montgomery County--I represent Montgomery County--becoming a national
historic landmark. It is the only synagogue designed by the great
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and it is a remarkable place to
see. I would commend it to all of my colleagues.
And looking forward, on November 14, 2010, the National Museum of
American Jewish History will open its spectacular new facility on
Philadelphia's Independence Mall. This museum is the only museum in
America dedicated exclusively to exploring and preserving the American
Jewish experience. And again, I encourage all of my colleagues, Jews
and non-Jews, to visit this remarkable institution and to learn the
stories of Jewish Americans, their challenges, their hardships, and
their successes as they became a part of the fabric of who we are as
Americans.
For me, the significance of American Jewish Heritage Month is marked
by a story of one young woman named Renee Perl. Over 60 years ago,
Renee fled Austria on a Kindertransport. Some of the Jews may know what
that means. It was a children's train. Parents sent their children on
this train hoping they would be embraced by strangers and taken care
of. She was, of course, fleeing the Holocaust. After almost 2 years,
first in Holland and then in England, she arrived alone on the shores
of America, a 16-year old without family or friends, but armed with a
keen sense of hope and expectation. As with many refugees, she was
anxious to put her difficult experiences behind her and embrace her new
country, which she did with deep gratitude.
Renee Perl was my mother. She instilled in me a deep love for this
country and its capacity to provide not only safe harbor but
opportunity. My mother's search for security and freedom in America is
part of who I am and why I do what I do. It is a deeply personal
reminder of the importance of democracy, not only for American Jews,
but for so many. Her story, her life, as for so many others, calls on
us to meet the responsibility we have to respect the values of our
great Nation, to build and protect the freedom and hope that it offers
to so many citizens and newcomers.
It is with pride and gratitude that I mark the occasion of American
Jewish Heritage Month, and I am pleased to participate in this
evening's discussion.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much.
[[Page H3859]]
Ms. Schwartz, I have to tell you that I've heard you share that story
before, and I get a lump in my throat every time you tell it. It is so
moving and meaningful for you to share that story in the Chamber of the
U.S. House of Representatives, and it's one of the ways that we can
help people understand why acknowledging the contributions of American
Jews and the rich tapestry that we have weaved throughout American
history is so important. So thank you again for sharing that story once
again.
It's now my privilege to yield to one of the most significant Jewish
leaders in our country, someone who has been a stalwart fighter for
Israel, a stalwart fighter for the issues that matter to American Jews
and to Jews across the globe, the gentlelady from Nevada, Shelley
Berkley.
Ms. BERKLEY. Thank you very much, Ms. Wasserman Schultz. We usually
start our days together because we're next-door neighbors, and it's a
pleasure to see you 14 hours later here on the floor of the House. But
I want to thank you for spearheading this effort. I think it's very
important. And I know this is near and dear to your heart, and you've
done an extraordinary job year after year bringing the Jewish American
story to our fellow citizens, and I appreciate it very much.
I can't help but agree with you about the beautiful story that our
colleague, Allyson Schwartz, spoke of. I leaned over to you and said,
Is she talking about her grandmother? And you said, No, that's her
mother. And I know how much that means. I also have heard her story
many times, and it also puts a lump in my throat as well.
Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, my family story is very much an
American Jewish story. And not unlike so many millions of other
American Jews that came to our shores from other places, my mother's
side of the family comes from Thessaloniki, Greece, where there was a
very vibrant community, Jewish community prior to World War II. Half of
the population of Thessaloniki, Greece were Jewish before World War II,
but by the time the Nazis finished, there were only 1,000 Jews left in
Salonika out of the 80,000 that existed and lived there and thrived
there prior to World War II. I'm not presumptuous enough to think that
my family would have been among those thousand chosen to live.
On my father's side of the family, from the Russia-Poland border, an
entire culture, from 1,000 years of Jewish culture in that part of the
world, was exterminated as a result of World War II. My family escaped
both the Russia-Poland area and Thessaloniki, Greece in order to come
to our Nation's shores. And I grew up hearing stories of what their
lives were like where they came from and how thrilled and excited they
were to come to the United States of America and truly felt this
started as a haven. It was the very survival of my family. Had they
stayed where they lived in Europe, we would have been exterminated in
the Holocaust, but we did survive. We came to this remarkable country,
where not only did we have an opportunity to survive, but we've had an
opportunity to thrive.
I'm second-generation American. When my grandparents came here--and
this is a story that is so common among American Jewish families--they
couldn't speak English. They had no money. They had no skills.
{time} 2145
The only thing they had was a dream, and that dream was that their
children and their children's children would have a better life here in
the United States than they had where they came from.
I often think of myself, and I hope this isn't too presumptuous, as
my grandparents' American Dream. But I think even in their wildest
dreams they never would have imagined that they would have a
granddaughter that was serving in the United States House of
Representatives. When I am doing this, I often think of my grandparents
and realize that they went through so much in order to come to this
country. And we have been able to share in the extraordinary success
and largesse of this remarkable country.
We are very lucky as an American Jewish community to be very much a
part of the fabric of this great country, to have full acceptance, to
be able to access the highest levels of power, to actually be able to
effectuate meaningful change in a very positive way by participating in
the American political process.
My father, much like so many of the others that spoke today, is also
a World War II veteran. He is 85. His name is George Levine. He is
still working. But I think what demonstrates our commitment and our
love of this country and our patriotism as American Jews is the fact
that my father also joined the Navy when he wasn't quite old enough to
do so. But he wanted to fight for his country. He wanted to stand up
and do something positive for the United States of America to show that
we belonged here and we were part of this great country.
There are 500,000 Jews that served in the American Armed Forces
during World War II, including numerous Jews who rose to the rank of
general, and several more were admirals. Now, my father was never an
admiral in the Navy, but he served and he served his country proudly
and well; and I continue to be very proud of him.
We have made more than a life for ourselves in the United States of
America. We are very proud Americans, and we are very proud Jews. And
we appreciate so much the fact that this country offered so many
remarkable opportunities and gave us a chance not only for survival,
but to become a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. I
think it's incumbent, and I think most Jews feel this way, that given
the rights that we have here in the United States also comes
responsibilities.
Those responsibilities mean good citizenship and participating in the
political process and voting and being knowledgeable and getting a good
education so that you can not only be part of the foundation of this
country, but to give back to a country that has given us so many
opportunities. So I am very much a part of the American Jewish
community, but it's a story that so many of us share with our fellow
Americans.
Ms. Wasserman Schultz, I want to thank you very much for giving us
the chance to thank this great country not only for taking us in, but
for letting us be so much a part of not only the culture and the
political life, but to be very much involved in the greatness of the
United States of America. Thank you for giving me this chance.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much for your eloquence, Ms.
Berkley, and for acknowledging that a lot of people think about the
arrival of Jews in America as really being an infusion after World War
I, an infusion after World War II; but we have 353 years of Jewish life
in this country. And, unfortunately, much of our arrival followed
persecution in other parts of the world: after the Spanish Inquisition,
the pogroms in Russia--that's when my family came initially in the
1800s--and then in the early 1900s fleeing Poland for a better way of
life here. And it's so incredibly important that we tell our story.
Jewish American Heritage Month allows us to do that now. President
Bush proclaimed it 5 years ago. We had 250 cosponsors, of which you
were one, of the original legislation that urged him to do that. And
one of the things that I really think is important to acknowledge is
there is so much partisanship here in the House of Representatives. I
was the most proud at the time that we passed that resolution
unanimously out of the House. With over 400 Members voting for it, we
had 250 cosponsors, bipartisan cosponsors, and then we had a bipartisan
effort across the Jewish community in this country to urge the
President at the time to proclaim the first Jewish American Heritage
Month. And they did so willingly, put aside party differences because
they knew that it was incredibly important. And we have continued to be
able to mark the occasion every year.
Ms. BERKLEY. Well, if it wasn't for your leadership we might not be
here this evening doing this, so I thank you. Congresswoman, when you
and I hear the beautiful song ``God Bless America,'' it means a great
deal to us because I think every day God bless America, God bless this
country.
But the interesting thing is Irving Berlin gained prominence as a
composer of patriotic songs. As you know, Irving Berlin was a very
famous composer, he was Jewish, and he wanted to
[[Page H3860]]
show his love of this country and use his talents in order to create
these remarkably patriotic songs. And ``God Bless America'' is still
among my favorites. And he received the Congressional Gold Medal of
Honor in recognition of his service to this country in composing these
patriotic songs. So whenever I hear that song I get a little patter in
my heart, and it particularly makes me proud that an American Jew
composed it.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Me as well. And in that same vein, Emma
Lazarus was by far at the time the leading Jewish literary figure in
19th-century America. And it's her sonnet which was called ``The New
Colossus'' that is engraved on the base of the Statute of Liberty:
``Give me your tired, your poor, yearning to breathe free.'' And then
the rest is history.
Ms. BERKLEY. History.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. The rest is history, exactly. There are so
many contributions that this month allows us to highlight. And I really
thank you for joining us tonight, to continue to be able to do that.
And I know we look forward to the rest of the month and the
celebrations across the country.
Ms. BERKLEY. Thank you very much.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much.
It is now my privilege to invite my colleague from the State of
Florida, the gentleman from central Florida, who is a newly elected
Member and who has done a fantastic job fighting for his constituents,
fighting on behalf of the issues that are important to this country,
and fighting to help particularly focus on job creation and turning our
economy around, the gentleman and my friend from central Florida, Alan
Grayson.
Mr. GRAYSON. Thank you. It would be easy to spend this time that I
have, and in fact this entire hour, talking about the contributions
that Jewish people have made to American history and to American
science and culture. If you look at the back of a dollar bill, you will
find the seal of the United States. And you will find that the 13
original States are depicted in the form of a Star of David on the back
of every dollar bill. And that's to reflect the support that Jews
provided during the Revolutionary War for our freedom as a country.
It also would be easy to spend this time, and in fact the whole hour,
talking about people who we know who have lived upstanding lives as
Jews and reflected our values in ways that have caused America to
appreciate what they have given us. I am thinking, for instance, of my
father's mother, who came to America fleeing oppression in Europe 110
years ago. I am thinking of both of my mother's parents. My mother's
parents told me that their finest hour was when they got to visit
Jerusalem. And yet they came from Europe to North America in the hope
of achieving freedom, and they did.
But I would like to try to do something that's in some respects a
little more difficult, if I may, which is try to explain in some
general way what Jews have meant in this country for our intellectual
and moral life as a country. And I think it begins with the fact that
we all lived as slaves. And we not only remember that time and remember
what it meant for us to achieve freedom ourselves as a people, but we
also make sure that each year we come together during a time that's
important to all of us, to come together as families and remember the
importance of that part of the Jewish experience. And that helps us to
relate to other people who are oppressed in all sorts of ways.
We also, I think, are moved by the central concept, in my mind, of
tikkun olam, healing the world. Now, this is a concept that dates in
Jewish law all the way back to the Mishnah. And originally it was
basically an injunction that you should not take advantage of other
people. One of the original examples of tikkun olam, the principle of
healing the world, was that for instance when the captives were taken,
when people were held hostage in military battles, the tradition at
that time was that they could be freed by a payment of money. We don't
do that anymore, nobody does that anymore, but that was typical and
ordinary in Biblical times.
And the rule of tikkun olam was applied to place a limit on how much
you could take in order to give someone back their freedom. Why?
Because that person was a prisoner, he or she could not defend himself
or herself, and he or she wanted and deserved the freedom that every
human being deserves. So under the idea of the concept of tikkun olam,
we placed a limit on the price that you could pay on somebody's
freedom, even if they were captured in the field of battle or otherwise
taken hostage. And that's a concept that's broadened over time. It's a
concept that I think is suffused through our life as a country in
America today because it appeals to our better nature.
I saw something recently that summarized this in a way that I thought
was particularly vivid. This is Rabbi Michael Lerner talking about the
concept of tikkun olam and how it applies to modern life: ``We in the
Tikkun community,'' he said, ``use the word `spiritual' to include all
those whose deepest values lead them to challenge the ethos of
selfishness and materialism that has led people into a frantic search
for money and power and away from a life that places love, kindness,
generosity, peace, nonviolence, social justice, awe and wonder at the
grandeur of creation, thanksgiving, humility and joy,'' especially joy
I think, ``at the center of our lives.''
And what we strive for under Jewish law is a reflection of the future
that we hope to bring about, the messianic age, the age when people
live in peace, when their lives are filled with love and with joy. And
our actions today are meant to point in that direction. I think that's
a good summary of what we try to accomplish as legislators. I think
it's a good summary of what America tries to accomplish when we appeal
to our own better natures. And that's, I think, the greatest of all of
our contributions to American life, the concept of tikkun olam, the
concept that the way that we conduct ourselves is a way that can spread
throughout the world. I appreciate the time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Mr. Grayson, for sharing
your unique perspective. And, again, it's so incredibly important that
we had this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Jewish
Americans to American history.
And I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that something that I am quite proud
of is a contribution that I wasn't aware that I had made. Upon my
election to the Congress in 2004, I learned that I was elected as the
first Jewish woman to represent the State of Florida in Congress in
history. And that's a source of great pride certainly to my parents, my
Jewish parents, who were extremely proud and who kvelled, which is a
Yiddish expression for a great bubbling of pride, so to speak. But it's
something that has been a source of pride to me.
Mr. GRAYSON. Will the gentlelady yield?
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would be happy to yield.
Mr. GRAYSON. I am sure, and I know for a fact, that your parents must
be very proud of you. But I will tell you that when I was elected, my
mother's reaction was, I really wish you would become a doctor instead.
I yield back.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you. That's right. They wished for a
doctor or a lawyer; they got a Member of Congress. What can you do?
They had to settle.
Mr. Speaker, as I wrap up, and I am going to yield the last portion
of our time to my good friend from Indiana, but I do want to talk about
this year's Jewish American Heritage Month. And it's been packed with
programs celebrating the contributions of American Jews to our country
with movies, cultural exhibitions, speakers, and innovative educational
curricula.
Right here in Washington, the United Jewish Communities and the
Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington will once again be
hosting what has become their annual tradition, a reception for Members
of Congress and members of the Jewish community right here on Capitol
Hill.
J Street will also be hosting a reception to celebrate May as Jewish
American Heritage Month with Members of Congress, their staff, and the
Jewish community. But that's not all. The Library of Congress and the
National Archives and Records Administration has been hosting lectures
and exhibits and discussions about Jewish contributions to America.
[[Page H3861]]
In my home State of Florida, there will be a celebration of Jewish
contributions to the civil rights movement. And the Marlins baseball
team will host a Jewish Heritage Game. I can share with you that I had
the privilege of throwing out the first pitch last year at the Jewish
Heritage Game, which was really neat. But at that game they have kosher
food and Jewish music in-between innings, and it's really an incredible
experience.
Cincinnati, Ohio will be hosting lectures, including one on President
Lincoln's solid relationship with Jewish Americans. And Wyoming of all
places will host a festival celebrating Jewish food. And Lord knows
that we Jews like food a whole lot.
{time} 2200
Events are also scheduled to occur in New York, California, Texas and
other States around the country, but I think the thing that we are all
the most proud of is that tomorrow we will join President Barack Obama
and the first lady, who will hold the first ever White House
celebration and ceremony honoring Jewish American Heritage Month and
the contributions of Jewish Americans throughout American history. It's
our first opportunity to have that celebration in the White House
during the month of May and Jewish American Heritage Month.
Mr. Speaker, we have come a long way in recent years to promote
appreciation for the multicultural fabric of the United States. It's
our responsibility to continue this education. If we as a Nation are to
prepare our children for the challenges that lie ahead, then teaching
diversity is a fundamental part of that promise. Together, we can help
achieve this goal of understanding with the celebration of Jewish
American Heritage Month.
I thank my colleagues for their support and call on all Americans to
observe this special month by celebrating the many contributions of
Jewish culture throughout our Nation's history.
With that, I would be happy to yield to the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Donnelly) who hopefully will come up with a good segue from Jewish
American Heritage Month to what he has come to share with us tonight
about his constituents.
Honoring Three Sons from Second District of Indiana
Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana. Thank you very much. I want to thank my dear
colleague from Florida and tell her what a vibrant and successful
Jewish community we have in Indiana as well. We are very proud of our
Jewish community there, and I want to thank you so much.
Mr. Speaker, as we near Memorial Day, I rise today also to offer some
words in commemoration of those who gave their lives in the Armed
Forces of the United States, in particular, three sons from the Second
District of Indiana. This weekend, Members of this body will return to
our districts and participate in Memorial Day parades and events that
are a tradition of American life. People will picnic with their
families, barbecue and watch parades, and people will honor our
veterans and pay respects to those servicemembers who died in the line
of duty in places large and small, in places like South Bend, Plymouth
and Westville, Indiana.
Specialist Paul E. Andersen, an Army Reservist from South Bend,
Indiana, died in action on October 1, 2009, by indirect fire from enemy
forces. A 24-year veteran of the Armed Forces, Paul was competing his
second tour of duty in Iraq.
A 1979 graduate of Buchanan High School just across the line in
Michigan, Paul enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1985. After serving his
first tour in Iraq, Paul met his future wife, Linda, at the home of a
friend. They shared a love of country music, old movies, and strawberry
milkshakes. Paul proposed marriage within just a few months, and they
were married 3 weeks later.
Linda knew what the Army meant to Paul from the very beginning. When
he reenlisted for 6 more years of duty, though, it was only after first
seeking her consent.
When he asked her how she would feel if he opted to redeploy, she
said, go ahead. ``I knew I married an Army man, he's my world, my life,
my friend.''
In November of 2008, Paul served with the 855th Quartermaster Company
from South Bend. Paul's mission in Iraq was to provide both shower and
laundry services, as well as operating a clothing repair shop
supporting coalition forces based in 10 different locations throughout
the Iraqi theater. Without these crucial services that helped make life
bearable for those fighting far from home, our soldiers would not have
been able to perform their duties as ably as they do.
Paul will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, and
grandfather. As a civilian, Paul worked at a tube and bending company.
He loved to tinker with machines and was notorious among family members
and friends for going overboard on the Christmas lights every year.
He lived a life full of love and joy. Specialist Andersen is survived
by his wife, by six children, and by nine grandchildren.
Army Staff Sergeant Justin DeCrow of Plymouth, Indiana, died in a the
tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. After 13
years of extraordinary service to his Nation, Justin was taken from his
family, friends, and comrades, and he will be forever missed.
Justin always wanted to be a soldier. He graduated from Plymouth High
School in 1996, and after marrying his high school sweetheart, that
spring he enlisted in the United States Army. He answered the call to
serve his country because of an unfailing love of America and also the
opportunity to make a life for his family in a career like no other.
Early on, he performed light vehicle maintenance. In 2000, Justin and
his family moved to Evans, Georgia, after he was assigned to nearby
Fort Gordon, where he was trained as a satellite operator.
He would later go on to work in that capacity in South Korea. Last
September, Justin was assigned to the 16th Signal Company at Fort Hood.
He had hoped to soon return to Fort Gordon to be with his family.
While at Fort Hood, Justin distinguished himself by training new
soldiers. He will be remembered by his fellow soldiers as a mentor with
an undeniable charm and quick wit, and by friends and family as a
loving and devoted father and husband.
Justin is survived by his wife of 14 years, Marikay, their 13-year-
old daughter, Kylah, and two proud parents, Daniel DeCrow and Rhonda
Thompson. He will be missed by them and by a grateful Nation forever in
debt to a selfless man's kind heart and deep sense of service.
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Joshua Birchfield of Westville, Indiana,
died in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on February 19, 2010. After
almost 2 years of accomplished service, Joshua was killed by small arms
fire while on patrol during his first tour of duty in that country.
Josh graduated from Westville High School in 2004 and enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps on April 18, 2008. He joined the marines
after seeing a TV news segment focused on the hardships that military
families endure when they are separated, especially during the
holidays. Josh was deeply inspired by those who dedicated their lives
in the service of others. He wanted to share that burden they were
carrying on behalf of our Nation.
Lance Corporal Birchfield was stationed in Helmand Province as a
rifleman with the Third Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, First Marine
Expeditionary Force, based in Twentynine Palms, California.
For his service and support in Operation Enduring Freedom, Josh has
been decorated many times, earning the Purple Heart, Combat Action
Ribbon, National Defense Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War
on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the NATO
Medal. Joshua was a baseball enthusiast, and this coming weekend, I am
proud that I will be there as the baseball field in Westville will be
renamed in Josh's honor, a living memorial that will remain a place of
joy and remembrance for years to come. And we all hope that we can live
up to the example that Josh has given to all of us.
Joshua was also an inspiring hero to many in the tight-knit Westville
community, and he will be remembered as a selfless and compassionate
man. He is survived by both parents and sisters, extended family, and
many, many friends.
We are forever in debt to these three great Hoosiers, all patriots in
every
[[Page H3862]]
sense of the word and all brave Americans who have laid down their
lives so that we may be safe, so that others might live without fear,
and so that our country can remain safe and secure and strong.
Let us also remember today those brave Americans who are serving
their Nation now here at home and in harm's way in places all around
the globe. By choosing to serve their Nation in uniform, these sons and
daughters, mothers and fathers, are continuing hundreds of years of a
tradition of selflessness, excellence, and courage in protecting the
freedoms and values we are blessed to enjoy as citizens of this beloved
country.
Mr. Speaker, may the House of Representatives always do right by
these fine men and their families, and may we never forget the price of
freedom and those who have laid their lives down in service to this
great Nation.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I am really privileged to have been here to
listen to the gentleman acknowledge the patriots that gave their lives
and that have served our country so faithfully from his community, and
I can tell you that the constituents of the district that he represents
in Indiana have no greater friend, no greater advocate, than Joe
Donnelly.
With that, I yield back.
____________________