[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING RABBI JUDITH LEWIS & OTTO KUCERA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Judith S. Lewis became the rabbi of 
Riverdale Temple in the summer of 2006, after celebrating her 25th year 
in the rabbinate in 2005. She was part of the first generation of women 
rabbis, becoming ordained at a time when there were fewer than a dozen 
women in the Reform rabbinate. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of 
Divinity degree from the Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of 
Religion, where she was ordained in 1980. Her undergraduate degree was 
in Philosophy, from Oberlin College in Ohio.
  Rabbi Lewis was born and raised in Rochester, New York where her 
extended family participated in every congregation of every 
denomination. A favorite recollection from childhood is the successive 
observance of Jewish holidays at each congregation. After services 
ended at her family's Reform synagogue, they would often go to join her 
grandparents in their Conservative congregation, and finally join aunts 
and uncles at the Orthodox synagogue to finish the celebration of the 
holiday.
  Otto Kucera was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, above his 
family's funeral home. After graduating from American Academy 
McAllister Institute he joined the family business. Aside from several 
years in Boston, as a family owner of several independent funeral 
homes, he has been with Riverside Funeral Chapels and their associates 
for over 40 years.
  The diversity and proximity of the Jewish population in Riverdale is 
both familiar and welcome to Rabbi Lewis who believes that a Reform 
congregation has a vital role to play in the ongoing creativity of 
modern Jewish life. As the oldest Jewish institution in Riverdale, this 
congregation has a rich and noteworthy heritage of involvement with the 
community which she looks forward to promoting and sustaining.
  Otto and his wife, Isabell, had three children, Peter, Jennifer, and 
Veronica. Peter is a funeral director in Schenectady, New York. Jenny 
was a production manager for Penguin Publications after graduating from 
Rutgers University and married her husband Joel. They live in 
Massachusetts with their two children.
  Rabbi Lewis introduced the Tot Shabbat, adult bnei mitzvah classes, 
and she and Otto conduct congregational trips to Israel. Her 
willingness to try new modes of worship and her spirit of 
experimentation are attracting new young families to the congregation.
  Otto and Rabbi Lewis got to know each other outside of their 
respective professional roles 12 years ago, when introducing their son 
and daughter to each other. Instead, they married each other four years 
later.
  I offer my congratulations to Rabbi Lewis and Otto for all they have 
accomplished for the Temple, both individually and together. They are 
an example of all that can be done when working together.

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