[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 143 (Thursday, October 1, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE CENTENNIAL OF CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM RODFE ZEDEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2015

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the entire 
Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek on their 100th year of providing a 
place for spiritual growth and gathering to the Jewish community in 
Chester and the surrounding area. This Congregation has grown from two 
small groups of farmers who more than a century ago sought a place to 
gather and worship, to a thriving community and religious center that 
is a cornerstone of my Congressional district.
  In the 1800s, Jews in Connecticut primarily worshiped in small 
minyans in their homes. But as the Jewish community in our region grew, 
leaders sought larger, public places to worship. In the mid-1990s, 
Temple Beth Shalom and Congregation Rodfe Zedek merged to become the 
community that exists today. The building in which they hold services 
is also a testament to their creativity and collaboration. The new, 
permanent home for the congregation is the result of work by artist Sol 
LeWitt and local architect Stephen Lloyd. The synagogue pays homage to 
tradition, made with wooden beams in the style of old eastern European 
synagogues--many of which were destroyed in the Holocaust. It is this 
commitment to history--and an eye towards the future--that will 
continue to sustain this congregation for years to come.
  I now ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Beth Shalom 
Rodfe Zedek on 100 years of community and congregation, and wish them 
all the best for the next century of Jewish life in eastern 
Connecticut.

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