[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 44 (Monday, March 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING BRAD SILVER

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 16, 2015

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, there are few things more noble than a life 
dedicated to public service. The work my good friend Brad Silver has 
done as part of the Bronx Jewish Community Council (BJCC), an 
organization that represents the combined community relations and anti-
poverty efforts of all the local Jewish community councils in the 
Bronx, has left an indelible mark on the lives of countless individuals 
in the area.
  Brad began his professional career in 1971 as an Outreach Worker for 
Teens at the Bronx House, a local Jewish community center. While 
serving as Teen Program Director and finally Co-op City Program 
Director at Bronx House, he somehow found time to pursue and receive 
his Masters Degree in Social Work at Yeshiva University. In 1978 Brad 
began working at the Hawthorne Cedar Knolls School, a residential 
treatment center for adolescents of the Jewish Board of Family and 
Children's Services.
  Following six successful years at Cedar Knolls, Brad moved onto the 
BJCC, where he began serving as the Director of Social Services in 
1984. As his role and responsibilities grew, Brad began moving up the 
BJCC ladder, becoming the Executive Vice President of the Council in 
1999. In his time with the BJCC, the organization has achieved a 
remarkable reputation as a pillar of community betterment. With a 
budget now exceeding $17 million annually, the BJCC serves over 10,000 
people annually with everything from home attendant services to 
neighborhood resource centers. Their success is a tremendous testament 
to Brad's work.
  In addition to his professional accomplishments, Brad is also an 
accomplished family man. He continues to reside in the community he was 
raised in, the Amalgamated Houses in the Bronx, with his wife, and 
lives just a block away from his mother.
  This year the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council is 
honoring Brad with the Community Service Award at their Legislative 
Breakfast. In working with him personally, I know no one is more 
deserving of this honor.

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