[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 26106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     WELCOME TO RABBI ROBERT ORKAND

  (Mr. SHAYS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to welcome Rabbi 
Robert Orkand and to thank him for his special opening prayer this 
morning.
  It is also my pleasure to be given this opportunity to share this 
great man and community leader with my colleagues. For a quarter of a 
century Rabbi Orkand has been a source of wisdom, inspiration, and 
pride to his family, wife Joyce and son Seth, friends, congregation, 
and the larger community in which he lives. From Miami, Florida; to 
Rockford, Illinois; to Westport, Connecticut, his commitment to 
education, activism, and religious pluralism have benefited the lives 
of so many.
  Rabbi Orkand's energy and compassion are testament to his dedication 
and to all that he believes and cherishes. On a national level, he is 
currently chair of the National Commission on Jewish Education of the 
Reform Movement, co-chair of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Association of 
Reform Zionists of America, and a member of the Executive Board of the 
Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal. And locally he is a 
member of the Human Services Commission of the Town of Westport and has 
served as past president of the United Way, a member of the Board of 
Directors of the United Jewish Appeal Federation, and president of the 
Westport-Weston Clergy Association. Rabbi Orkand has coauthored three 
prayer books for children, ``Gates of Wonder'', ``Gates of Awe'', and 
``A Child's Haggadah.''
  This House salutes Rabbi Orkand for his dedication to duty and his 
love of God and humanity. He has left a wonderful mark on his 
congregation and all the communities he has touched over the years. 
Rabbi Orkand is a man of God and a true healer.

                          ____________________