[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17455-17456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  DEDICATION OF THE SIMON RAINBOW ROOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2003

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues 
these remarks from my constituent, Larry Simon, on the dedication of 
the Simon Rainbow Room at the Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center in 
Commack, New York. Larry and Sandy Simon's spirit of generosity is 
evident in these touching remarks.

           Simon Rainbow Room Dedication, Larry Simon Remarks

       Thank you Gerry, Concetta and Barbara for helping to make 
     this a very special evening for us. It is particularly 
     meaningful to Sandy and I that those for whom Gurwin was 
     built, our residents, share tonight with our family, friends 
     and special colleagues.
       We chose to dedicate the Rainbow Room because it represents 
     the vitality and possibilities of life. It symbolizes the 
     very reason for our devotion to the Gurwin Center's work. 
     Sandy and I have had the opportunity to stand at this podium 
     and witness so many

[[Page 17456]]

     joyous events that have touched us beyond imagination. We 
     have shared excitement and joy with our residents and their 
     families, and we always leave with an uplifting feeling that 
     we and our fellow colleagues have made a difference.
       So often when people confront the difficult challenges of 
     life they ask, ``why me . . . why us.'' For Sandy and I, 
     grateful for our yesterday's when our hopes and dreams were 
     new, grateful for today's joys and bounty's of life and thus 
     given the opportunity to make a difference, the question we 
     asked ourselves is ``why not us . . . if not us who.'' That 
     simply is why we have made Gurwin such a special and 
     important part of our life. Our involvement is a tremendous 
     source of pleasure, pride and personal satisfaction. We truly 
     believe we receive back far more than we have given.
       Let me share this poignant letter with all of you to 
     demonstrate our point!
       Dear Mr. Friedman: . . . My wife entered the Gurwin Center 
     on March 25, 2003. At that time she was on a ventilator, 
     incontinent and was being fed through a G-tube. She couldn't 
     speak or walk, and I feared I was losing her.
       The wonderful, professional, compassionate and caring staff 
     of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and therapists on 4 
     East changed all that. My wife is now off the ventilator, no 
     longer incontinent, and eats solid food. She can walk and 
     speak and seems well on the way to a complete recovery.
       God bless you and the excellent staff on 4 East for giving 
     my wife back to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
     Respectfully and gratefully.
       This letter certainly confirms our point of getting back 
     more than we have given.
       In the business world we deal with many ``investment 
     partnerships and partnership investors.'' Sandy and I are 
     equally grateful for our Gurwin partners as well. We would 
     like to thank those who work so closely with us. We greatly 
     value the commitment and leadership of our fellow Board and 
     Auxiliary colleagues. We respect and admire the dedicated 
     staff who make this Center their life's work, and we thank 
     the staff of the Gurwin Auxiliary and the Gurwin Foundation 
     for making our volunteer experience so rewarding.
       We must also acknowledge tonight's Gurwin participants who 
     have been so kind to us, here at the podium.
       Phyllis Charash, you are a woman of strength, a woman of 
     faith, a woman of honor, and a woman of pride and charity. 
     Thank you for emceeing tonight's celebration and dedication. 
     You are a very special lady.
       Herb Friedman, you've worked so hard and diligently to make 
     Gurwin what it is today. You've dared to share your dreams, 
     encourage and advise all of us and you've been here right 
     from the very start. You are one of the most important people 
     in our Gurwin life and we thank you for your dedication and 
     outstanding effort year after year.
       Joseph Gurwin, you continue to share your strength, vision 
     and wisdom with us, and mentor by example the values of love, 
     respect and commitment to family and the Gurwin community. 
     Your friendship and counsel have been sustaining and 
     inspiring. We offer our love and admiration. You are a very 
     special man.
       Our wish for all of you here tonight--be grateful for 
     tomorrow and the promises it holds--wonderful times, a 
     happier life, and a deeper affection for the human spirit and 
     needs as each new day unfolds.
       Just as our name will now be etched on the dedication 
     plaque for this room, the special feelings of this evening 
     will be etched in our memories forever. We applaud all of you 
     for sharing our passion for Gurwin. Thank you!

                          ____________________