[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     WELCOMING RABBI MARK SCHIFTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, the opening prayer today was given by Rabbi 
Mark Schiftan of Nashville, the senior rabbi of the oldest and largest 
Jewish congregation in middle Tennessee. The congregation dates back to 
1851, when the Vine Street Temple began worship services in downtown 
Nashville, even before the Civil War.
  Rabbi Schiftan has led today's temple, Congregation Ohabai Sholom, 
for nearly 20 years and is well known and beloved in our community.
  His family escaped the Holocaust from Vienna, Austria, fleeing first 
to Shanghai, China, and then to San Francisco.
  Rabbi Schiftan was educated at San Francisco State University, the 
Hebrew Union of Los Angeles, and then was ordained at the Hebrew Union 
of Cincinnati.
  Under Rabbi Schiftan's leadership, the temple has been the 
indispensable religious and cultural institution for all of middle 
Tennessee.
  I would like to personally thank the rabbi for his strong leadership 
in our community, for our personal friendship, and for opening the 
House with prayer today.

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