[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 57 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                150TH ANNIVERSARY OF TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, religious institutions play an important 
role in communities across the Nation. They are places where families 
bond; they are places where culture and traditions are handed down from 
generation to generation; and they are places where many turn for 
guidance. This Saturday, April 21, marks a significant milestone for 
one such place of worship in Jackson, MI. On Friday evening, Temple 
Beth Israel will celebrate the sesquicentennial anniversary of its 
founding on April 21, 1862. This momentous occasion will be 
commemorated through a service that highlights the congregation's rich 
history and important place within the greater Jackson community.
  Since 1862, this close-knit synagogue has been a mainstay in Jackson 
and has helped to preserve and instill religious values and culture 
from one generation to the next. Nowhere is this better portrayed than 
in a short vignette on Temple Beth Israel's web site, which brings to 
life what may seem to be routine--scores of proud families pouring out 
of a service laughing, smiling and bonding with one another; providing 
a place for members of the Jewish community to come together in 
fellowship to learn, to seek spiritual guidance and to celebrate 
important religious and life events is at the core of Temple Beth 
Israel's mission.
  Temple Beth Israel, situated on West Michigan Avenue, is the first 
and only synagogue in the city of Jackson and is at the center of 
Jewish life there. Four stained glass windows representing the ideals 
the congregation holds dear--Torah, peace, justice and good deeds--
adorn the synagogue's sanctuary. Through the years, there have been 
abundant examples of these ideals put into action.
  Temple Beth Israel is a landmark, literally. Preceding the Temple's 
founding was the Hebrew Benevolent Society. One of the lasting 
achievements of the Benevolent Society was the purchase, along with 
others in the community, of land for burial in 1859. Today, it stands 
as one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in continuous use in Michigan 
and has been recognized nationally as an important landmark through its 
listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Notable, also, is 
that Temple Beth Israel served as the student pulpit for Rabbi Sally 
Priesand, the first female rabbi in the United States.
  I extend my very best to the Temple Beth Israel community as they 
commemorate this wonderful milestone. Through strong spiritual 
leadership and an active congregation, they have etched an impressive 
legacy for all to see. Jackson, MI is a better place because of their 
work, and as they look toward the future, I am certain it is equally 
bright. A hearty mazel tov to Temple Beth Israel.

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