[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING RABBI ANDREA C. LONDON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2026

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Andrea C. 
London, of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois. Rabbi 
London's retirement after many years of devoted and passionate 
spiritual leadership for our congregation and the broader Evanston 
community marks a meaningful moment of transition and celebration. It 
is also a chance to do something I do not do often enough: to pause and 
express my deep gratitude for my Rabbi.
  For more than twenty-five years, Rabbi London has led Beth Emet with 
a steady hand and strong vision. Through it all, she has demonstrated a 
deep commitment to Jewish learning, pastoral care, and justice.
  Much of her leadership has centered on building bridges. Across 
cultures. Across religions. She was always there with an extended hand 
and a warm smile. Her longstanding efforts have established strong and 
lasting relationships across lines of faith and race that truly inspire 
me. Today, Beth Emet has successful and growing Black-Jewish and 
Jewish-Muslim partnerships.
  Rabbi London operates with moral clarity in a world that is often 
brutal and complex. She has offered a clear, courageous voice on issues 
of peace in Israel and Palestine. The North Shore NAACP, J Street, and 
a wide range of interfaith partners have recognized her for that work, 
and The Forward named her one of the most inspiring rabbis in the 
country. The City of Evanston has honored her as well, marking her 
contributions with a formal proclamation.
  Rabbi London once organized a trip, taking Black and Jewish Evanston 
teenagers on a civil rights journey through the American South. This 
trip was designed to give young people a real opportunity to connect 
with the journey of African Americans living through the civil rights 
era and to walk in the shoes of those fighting for justice. Through 
this trip, Rabbi London helped young people understand themselves as 
part of a moral tradition that makes real demands. That is her gift: 
she does not tell people what to think. She puts them somewhere they 
have to reckon with what they believe.
  Mr. Speaker, I have turned to Rabbi London many times over the years. 
I have sought her out for counsel, for clarity, and for the kind of 
grounding that only comes from someone who has devoted their life to 
justice and to people. She has that rare quality in a leader: she helps 
you think, rather than thinking for you. I am a better public servant 
for knowing her.
  On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District of 
Illinois, I want to offer my deep gratitude for Rabbi London's efforts 
on our behalf over the last quarter century. Her efforts have made 
Evanston, and our entire country, more just. I know she will continue 
her great work in our community, making a meaningful difference in the 
lives of so many. I am proud to call her my rabbi, and forever proud to 
call her my friend.

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