[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 93 (Monday, June 2, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E489-E490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING ANITA ALTMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 2, 2025

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anita Altman, a 
distinguished New Yorker and cherished member of our community, who 
will celebrate her 80th birthday on June 2, 2025.
  Anita has devoted her life to building a more inclusive, 
compassionate, and just society. A proud daughter of the Bronx, Anita 
was raised in a working-class Greek Jewish household by her parents, 
Jack and Sarah, and her grandparents Anna and Zadick Coffino, who 
emigrated from the Ottoman Empire and made their home on the Lower East 
Side. From these deep roots, Anita cultivated a lifelong commitment to 
public service, Jewish communal life, and progressive social change.
  After earning her B.A. from City College and a Master's in Health 
Services Administration from the New School, Anita began a career that 
would span urban planning, public health, and groundbreaking social 
advocacy. From her early work at the New York City Planning Department 
and Montefiore Medical Center to her service on Manhattan's Community 
Board 7, Anita has been a tireless force for equitable development, 
healthcare access, and community empowerment.
  Anita's visionary leadership at UJA-Federation transformed the 
landscape of aging and disability services in New York. She was 
instrumental in launching the state's first programs for Naturally 
Occurring Retirement Communities, helping thousands of seniors age with 
dignity in the communities they helped build. She led one of the first 
Jewish communal responses to the AIDS epidemic and convened the 
Federation's Task Force on

[[Page E490]]

Family Violence, for which she was honored with the Governor's Courage 
Award and the Woman of Valor award from the New York Board of Rabbis.
  Perhaps most widely known is Anita's creation of the Reel Abilities 
Film Festival, the nation's largest showcase of films by and about 
people with disabilities. Through ReelAbilities, Anita helped elevate 
underrepresented voices, challenge public perceptions, and promote the 
full inclusion of people with disabilities in American life.
  As she celebrates 80 extraordinary years, I recognize Anita Altman 
for her vision, her integrity, and her unwavering belief that all 
people deserve to live with dignity, visibility, and respect.

                          ____________________