[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TO HONOR THE LEADERSHIP OF JOEL JACOB AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF 
                   MAZON: A JEWISH RESPONSE TO HUNGER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Mr. Joel E. 
Jacob, as he steps down as Chairman of the Board of MAZON: A Jewish 
Response to Hunger and for his lifetime of advocacy in the realm of 
hunger and food insecurity.
  For years, Joel has been a champion for those facing the challenges 
of food insecurity. His advocacy to eradicate hunger has earned him 
international accolades and allowed him to develop close relationships 
with leaders across the globe. As the Chairman and Founder of The 
Bottle Crew, a business based in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Joel has 
instilled the importance of community service at his office because it 
is a value central to his life.
  As a teenager bussing tables at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, Joel grew 
frustrated as he saw the amount of food going to waste after the meals 
were served. These images of lost food helped motivate Joel to be an 
activist for the hungry. Now, as the official shofar blower for 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan, Joel blasts the 
clarion call for justice. Joel has made the fight against hunger 
central to his pursuit of justice in the world.
  Joel was first elected to the MAZON Board of Directors in 2003 and 
was elected Chair of the Board of Directors in 2009. He has served on 
MAZON's Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Executive 
Committee and also served as Co-Chair of the Development and 
Communications Committee. During his time on the Board, Joel has 
traveled to several continents to help the malnourished and raise 
awareness for food insecurity. For nearly three decades, MAZON has been 
a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and 
alleviating hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds. MAZON, 
which means ``food'' or ``sustenance'' in Hebrew, was the first 
national organization to rally the American Jewish community around the 
issue of hunger. MAZON provides for people who are hungry and advocates 
for ways to alleviate hunger. Thanks to the efforts of Joel, the 
concept in the Passover Haggadah of ``Letting All Who Are Hungry, Come 
and Eat'' is now a core theme at synagogues and Jewish organizations 
across the nation. Joel has successfully brought this message far 
beyond the Jewish community and has developed relationships worldwide 
to pool resources to feed those most in need including shaping 
legislation in the Israeli Knesset and the United States Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Joel's years of service on 
behalf of countless people around the world facing challenges such as 
food insecurity and hunger. His leadership as Chairman of the Board at 
MAZON has profoundly improved the lives of countless people in need 
around the world and was deeply felt by those who have benefitted from 
his commitment, passion and advocacy. As a personal friend of Joel, I 
know that this will in no way affect his dedication to the issue of 
hunger and that he will continue to be a champion for fighting hunger 
and repairing the world.

                          ____________________