[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 203 (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1261]]


  


                IN HONOR OF RITA SEMEL'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 23, 2021

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a visionary and 
inspiring leader, my longtime friend Rita Semel, as she recently 
celebrated her 100th birthday. Beloved in the Bay Area and beyond, Rita 
has torn down barriers to peace and brought communities together--here 
at home and around the world.
  Personally, it has been a great privilege to have had a front row 
seat to Rita's greatness for many decades. Deeply committed to her 
faith and driven by her values, every day she lives out the spirit of 
tikkun olam, `to heal the world'--which she teaches us is not just a 
gentle phrase, but a clarion call to action.
  Born a New Yorker, but forged into a true San Franciscan by more than 
eight decades in the Bay Area, Rita has long seen the world not as it 
is but as it could be--and has labored tirelessly to make real her 
inspiring vision. At a time when few women could be found in the 
workplace, she helped break barriers by serving as a reporter at the 
San Francisco Chronicle during World War II and freelancing for 
nonprofits as a working mother.
  San Franciscans are especially grateful for her decades of leadership 
of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, which she helped establish in 
the wake of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake to bring our 
community together. Under her leadership, the Council has been a force 
for justice and opportunity and has improved countless lives: from 
offering emergency shelter in the winter for people experiencing 
homelessness to fostering interreligious understanding to creating a 
chaplaincy program at the Youth Guidance Center, and so much more.
  That this revered Bay Area institution, three decades later, 
continues to unite San Franciscans across races, religions and economic 
backgrounds is a testament to her unyielding belief that we are always 
more powerful together than we could ever be alone.
  As she advanced justice at home, Rita has also brought boundless 
energy and a fierce spirit to her work building a world without 
poverty, violence or discrimination. All Americans can be proud of her 
service representing our nation to the world as a delegate to two 
United Nations World Conferences on Women. And as a longtime Jewish 
activist, she was an early and vocal supporter of the state in Israel--
and has been an essential force in advancing a safer, fairer future for 
Jewish people around the world.
  All who have had the high honor of working alongside Rita know that 
she never takes no for an answer--and it is best to save time and just 
agree with her right from the start. For her relentless work, she has 
been recognized with many accolades, including Woman of the Year by the 
California State Assembly, the San Francisco Foundation's Community 
Leadership Award and the Rosa Parks Award from Women in Community 
Service. Most importantly, however, her impact is measured by the 
indelible mark she leaves on the lives of her loved ones, her many 
friends and all fortunate enough to know her.
  On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I extend the 
warm greetings of the Congress to the extraordinary Rita Semel as she 
and her loved ones celebrate her century on this earth--and offer best 
wishes for happy and healthy years to come.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On pages E1262-E1263, November 23, 2021, the following appeared: 
IN HONOR OF RITA SEMEL'S 100THBIRTHDAY---------------HON. NANCY 
PELOSI OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, 
November 23, 2021 Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize a visionary and inspiring leader, my longtime friend 
Rita Semel, as she recently . . . her century on this earth-and 
offer best wishes for happy and healthy years to come. RECOGNIZING 
RICHARD WILSON'S SERVICE AS A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE --------------- 
HON. ADAM SMITH OF WASHINGTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker,
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: IN HONOR OF RITA 
SEMEL'S 100TH BIRTHDAY --------------- HON. NANCY PELOSI OF 
CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, November 23, 
2021 Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a 
visionary and inspiring leader, my longtime friend Rita Semel, as 
she recently . . . her century on this earth-and offer best wishes 
for happy and healthy years to come. IN HONOR OF HEALTHCARE 
WORKERS --------------- HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT OF ALABAMA


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