[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MARCIA YUGEND

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 9, 1999

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today. 
Marcia Yugend, a well respected leader in the Twin Cities Jewish 
community, lost her life February 3, 1999. A native of Little Falls, 
Minnesota, Yugend was a remarkable community leader who will be missed 
dearly by many in the Twin Cities' religious communities with whom she 
worked tirelessly to promote interfaith harmony across the globe.
  Yugend founded Feminists in Faith, a group of Jewish, Catholic, 
Protestant and Muslim women who worked together to promote women's 
religious issues and interfaith understanding. In 1985, Yugend created 
the Jewish Women-Palestinian Women Dialogue and later created the 
Black-Jewish Women's Dialogue. A lifelong student and scholar, Yugend 
recently received a master's degree in liberal studies from St. Paul's 
Hamline University. She earned her bachelor's degree from Metropolitan 
State University.
  Yugend was also the first female president of the Jewish Community 
Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. It was during her 
tenure at the Jewish Community Relations Council that I had the good 
fortune to work with Marcia. At that time, the Soviet government was 
actively oppressing people of Jewish faith. Marcia and I worked 
together to secure the emigration of Soviet Jews and the reunification 
of families in the Twin Cities. Her spirit and dedication to the cause 
was truly remarkable.
  Shortly after Yugend's passing, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu made his first trip to the Twin Cities to 
inaugurate the first Immortal Chaplains Prize for Humanity. The 
Humanity prize is given as a living memorial to the Immortal Four 
Chaplains--a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic Priest and two Protestant 
Ministers--who courageously rescued an estimated 230 men from drowning 
in the sinking of the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester during World War 
II. The Archbishop's historic visit to Twin Cities in celebration of 
those who have fought to protect others of a different race or religion 
underlined exactly the type of service and dedication Yugend put forth 
and could be a fitting tribute to her life and her tireless commitment 
to promoting interfaith understanding. Although her boundless energy 
cannot be replaced, her spirit will live on through those she inspired.
  Yugend is survived by her husband, Jerome Yugend, daughters Dana 
Yugend-Pepper of Minneapolis and Julie Yugend-Green of Oak Park, 
Illinois and five grandchildren.

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