[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 88 (Monday, June 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING DR. JOHN S. RUSKAY

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                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2014

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. John S. Ruskay 
for his contributions to the American Jewish community.
  Dr. Ruskay has dedicated his life to the pursuit of education and 
philanthropy, serving many roles within the Jewish community throughout 
his career. From 1980 to 1985, Dr. Ruskay was the Educational Director 
of the 92nd Street Y in New York. This venerable institution is 
renowned for its devotion to philanthropy and community enhancement. It 
is a testimony to Dr. Ruskay's talents that he ran the educational 
pursuits of this institution.
  He has also served as a senior consultant to the Wexner Foundation 
and the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. These organizations 
are at the forefront of fostering connections between individuals and 
their community. Their work has helped ensure that future generations 
of the Jewish community are not just aware of their cultural heritage, 
but that they are instilled with a desire to give back to the community 
as leaders.
  For the past 15 years, Dr. Ruskay has served as CEO of the United 
Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York. In this role, he has provided 
strong leadership and has helped advance UJA-Federation's vision of a 
more interconnected Jewish community. Under his leadership, the UJA-
Federation mobilized its resources to help launch the Israel Trauma 
Center to help Israeli victims of terror attacks during the second 
intifada. It was also under his leadership that the charity launched 
Connect to Care to help people struggling during the recession. And in 
the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, UJA-Federation provided millions of 
dollars to help restore damaged communities.
  Dr. Ruskay has been honored with numerous awards for his extensive 
work in the Jewish community in New York, the United States, and 
worldwide. He is a recipient of the Bernard Reisman Award for 
Professional Excellence from Brandeis University's Hornstein program 
and the Association of Jewish Communal Service's Mandelkom 
Distinguished Service Award. He also holds honorary doctorates from The 
Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the Spertus Institute for 
Jewish Learning and Leadership, Hebrew Union College, and Yeshiva 
University.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Dr. John S. Ruskay for his 
remarkable service and lifelong commitment to enriching the lives of 
others. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring his tremendous 
accomplishments.

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