[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11361]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE MARLA BENNETT ISRAEL DISCOVERY CENTER AND GARDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2004

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Marla Bennett 
Israel Discovery Center and Garden at the Shalom Institute Camp and 
Conference Center, home of Camp JCA Shalom, located in the beautiful 
Malibu mountains.
  The Center will be dedicated on June 6, 2004 in honor of Marla 
Bennett, a remarkable and vibrant young woman whose life was tragically 
taken on July 31, 2002 in the terrorist attack in the cafeteria at 
Hebrew University Mt. Scopus campus in Jerusalem.
  Marla was a 24-year-old recent graduate of the University of 
California at Berkeley who was studying to obtain her masters' degree 
at Hebrew University. She was also training at the Pardes Institute to 
become a Jewish educator.
  Marla was well-known to the Jewish community at Berkeley and was a 
familiar face at countless organizations, including Hillel and Bayit, 
the Jewish student cooperative of UC Berkeley.
  Marla grew up at Camp JCA Shalom as a camper, counselor-in-training, 
counselor, unit head and, during the summer of 2001, the program 
director. During her time at Camp JCA Shalom, she touched the lives of 
thousands of campers and staff.
  Her infectious personality and compassion for others will be 
memorialized in the Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden 
this weekend. The Center is an interactive hands-on learning center 
that teaches about the land, history and people of Israel; the flora 
and fauna of modern and ancient Israel; the relationship between 
Judaism and the environment; environmental awareness and protection; 
Jewish traditions, thoughts and values; and organic gardening and 
farming.
  During the summer, thousands of Camp JCA Shalom campers ages seven 
through 17 will have the opportunity to experience the Marla Bennett 
Israel Discovery Center and Garden. Throughout the year, the Center 
will be open to the community for field trips, weekend retreats and 
long-term educational studies.
  The Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden is housed at the 
Shalom Institute Camp and Conference Center. Nestled in a beautiful 
wooded canyon in the Malibu Mountains and only 45 minutes from downtown 
Los Angeles, the Shalom Institute provides campers of all ages positive 
Jewish experiences, a greater appreciation for the environment and lots 
of fun activities. From children to seniors, the Shalom Institute 
offers exciting programs throughout the year for campers of all ages.
  The Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden will be a 
welcome addition to the Shalom Institute and will serve to keep Marla's 
exuberant spirit and memory alive. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
the dedication of the Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden.

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