[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 53 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S929-S930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize the life and leadership 
of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, a global spiritual leader known 
universally as the Rebbe, and head of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
  The Rebbe was born in 1902 and lived through the darkest periods of 
history, escaping the evils of Russian communism and the horrors of 
Nazi Germany. In 1941, the Rebbe and his wife Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka 
arrived safely on the shores of the United States, where he worked 
tirelessly to resuscitate, rebuild, and guide world Jewry after the 
holocaust.
  The Rebbe exemplified an ideal and value we need today: to give of 
ourselves selflessly for the betterment of those around us. The Rebbe 
urged us all to become ambassadors for goodness and kindness and 
explained that education must not be limited to the academics necessary 
for making a good living, but rather focus on the ethics, morals, and 
values that serve as the bedrock of civilization.
  One result of the Rebbe's leadership is the Chabad-Lubavitch movement 
which, by following his teachings and example, became the world's 
largest Jewish educational organization. Today, there are more than 
3,500 permanent Chabad-Lubavitch centers providing educational, 
religious, and humanitarian programming in all 50 States, including in 
my home State of South Dakota, and in 109 countries. The Rebbe's 
teachings and scholarship are published in more than 400 volumes and 
are translated in dozens of languages.
  The Rebbe recognized America's unique role as a force for good and 
had meaningful relationships with several of our Nation's leaders, who 
saw him as the moral guide of so many. For the Rebbe, America was a 
beacon of light of historic proportions to be utilized in influencing 
the moral betterment of all humanity, and he often pointed to the words 
``In God We Trust'' enshrined on our currency as a defining element of 
the great American story.

[[Page S930]]

  For more than four decades, every U.S. President has declared the 
annual observance of Education and Sharing Day in honor of the 
anniversary of the Rebbe's birth and in recognition of his 
contributions to the betterment of education for all people. In 1995, 
he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions 
toward education, morality, and acts of charity.
  Education and Sharing Day represents an excellent opportunity for us 
to reflect on the Rebbe's vision and leadership. May we take his 
teachings to heart.

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