[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1528-1529]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             KAREN SHAPIRA

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, today I would like to reflect on the 
loss of a dear family friend, Karen Shapira. Karen recently passed away 
after a battle with breast cancer. The Shapira family has suffered a 
tremendous loss, and I offer them my condolences and deepest sympathy 
during this difficult time.
  Karen always called herself a ``professional volunteer'' and that is 
what she was. She was an extremely caring and selfless individual. For 
more than 20 years, she served the Jewish community, both in Pittsburgh 
and abroad. Most notably, she chaired the United Jewish Federation of 
Pittsburgh, which is responsible for delivering grants for educational, 
cultural, and human service programs.
  Her deep involvement in the Jewish community led her to Israel, where 
she met with Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. Through her 
capacity as chair of Partnership 2000 at the United Jewish Federation, 
Karen worked on projects with several schools, camps, women's health 
centers, and job training facilities in Israel. She also chaired a 
revolving loan fund of the Israel Emergency Appeal, which supports 
Israeli small businesses.
  Karen could also be found serving her local community in Pittsburgh. 
She had a major leadership role at the United Way of Allegheny County, 
cochairing the Early Childhood Initiative, and she served on the boards 
of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in 
Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Shady Side 
Academy. Karen was also appointed by Governor Ridge to the Pennsylvania 
Commission for Women.
  It is obvious from the several awards that Karen received that her 
dedication to the Jewish community did not go unnoticed. Specifically, 
Karen received the 2002 Emanuel Specter Award and the Sonia and Aaron 
Levinson Award for the pursuit of social justice, both from the United 
Jewish Federation.

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  Karen was also devoted to her family. She was married to David 
Shapira for 41 years and raised three children, Laura Karet, Debbie, 
and Jeremy. Karen leaves behind a wonderful family, and a legacy of 
community service and outreach. My thoughts and prayers are with the 
Shapira family in the days and months ahead.

                          ____________________