[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 88 (Wednesday, May 24, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING DOLLY RABINOWITZ, YIDEL PERLSTEIN, AND LT. IRA JABLONSKY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DANIEL S. GOLDMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2023

  Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
month of May as Jewish American Heritage Month. As a proud American Jew 
and the Representative of one of the largest Jewish populations in a 
Congressional district in the country, Jewish American Heritage Month 
is particularly meaningful to me.
  Jewish Americans have made countless contributions to our great 
Nation, and at a time when Jews continue to be the single most targeted 
religious minority in this country, I encourage all of us to take this 
month to recognize and appreciate the deep connections and rich history 
the Jewish people have to America.
  I also rise today to recognize 3 prominent constituents of my 
district. They stand as exemplars of the achievements of American Jews 
and are befitting of this great honor.
  Dolly Rabinowitz is a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor who has lived in 
New York since the end of WW2. She was born in Czechoslovakia to a 
rabbinical family and when she was 19, her family was told to pack up 
for an unknown village. From there she was forced to endure the 
barbaric cruelty of Auschwitz and the Death March to the Ravensbruck 
concentration camps. After experiencing unspeakable atrocities simply 
because of her faith, Dolly was liberated by the Allies in 1945. 
Following the war, Dolly emigrated to the United States and has lived 
in New York ever since, working as a bookkeeper and participating in 
Jewish life across the city. Dolly is one of a dwindling number of 
Holocaust survivors and we must pass along her story and others, so we 
never forget.
  Yidel Perlstein is a local leader and the Chairman of Community Board 
12 in Borough Park. He was the first Hasidic Jew to lead this impactful 
community organization and was just reelected after more than a decade 
in that position. With Yidel at the helm, CB12 has continued to lead 
many aspects of life in Borough Park--organizing voter outreach, 
community forums, and representing Borough Park's interests to elected 
officials across the country. On Jewish holidays you can find Yidel 
running food drives for needy people across Borough Park, demonstrating 
the spirit of giving that typifies the tight-knit bond of the Brooklyn 
Hasidic community.
  Lieutenant Special Assignment Ira Jablonsky of the New York City 
Police Department has been on the force for over two decades. He grew 
up attending Brooklyn Yeshivas and was interning at the Office of 
Emergency Management on 9/11. After seeing the first tower hit, Lt. 
Jablonsky jumped into action, running into 7 World Trade and helping as 
many people as he could before they were ordered to evacuate. Lt. 
Jablonsky is a Brooklyn yeshiva graduate and has worked in the 
community his entire career to make it safer for New Yorkers and fellow 
Orthodox Jews alike. He demonstrates the importance of having Jews 
represented in law enforcement, working to catch several high-profile 
antisemitic vandals who threaten the safety and security of Jewish 
Brooklynites. His service to his community does not go unnoticed, and I 
am honored to give him this distinction today.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing May as 
Jewish American Heritage Month as well as these 3 outstanding Jewish 
Americans who represent the best of what our community offers their 
communities, their city and state, and their country.

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