[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF CONGREGATION BETH JACOB ON ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY

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                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 4, 2020

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, we rise today to honor Congregation Beth 
Jacob of Redwood City, California, as it celebrates its 90th 
Anniversary of service to Jewish residents living between the cities of 
San Francisco and San Jose. The founders, Polish and Russian 
immigrants, were among the many Jews who fled Eastern Europe between 
1882 and 1910. The group's first service was attended by 25 members and 
was held in a member's home.
  The Congregation held services in its first synagogue in Menlo Park 
in 1931. In 1952, the Congregation broke ground for its current 
facility on Alameda de las Pulgas in Redwood City. In 1979, Beth Jacob 
suffered a catastrophic fire, and the current facility was rebuilt in 
1981.
  Congregation Beth Jacob's first leader was Kenneth Carlton Zwerin who 
served for a decade, followed by numerous rabbis and lay leaders. Rabbi 
H. David Teitelbaum, a distinguished civil rights activist, led Beth 
Jacob to join the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, an 
affiliation that continued until 2013. Rabbi Nathaniel Ezray, the 
Congregation's current leader, took the leadership position in 1995.
  Beth Jacob, a vibrant and egalitarian Congregation, is widely known 
and highly regarded for its leadership in progressive actions within 
the Conservative movement. For many years, women, LGBTQ individuals, 
people with disabilities and those who are homeless have been active 
and important within the Congregation. In fact, Beth Jacob was the 
first local synagogue to build a ramp so those with limited mobility 
could reach the Torah. Beth Jacob strives to see the image of God in 
every person who steps through its doors and believes in the importance 
of honoring differences.
  Madam Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in wishing 
Congregation Beth Jacob many more years of service to our community, 
and in thanking Beth Jacob for 90 years of providing a welcoming, safe 
and joyful place of worship to its devoted members. Congregation Beth 
Jacob is a beacon of hope in a world in need of hope, and a shining 
jewel in the crown of the San Francisco Peninsula.

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