[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATING RABBI MERLE E. SINGER ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2005

  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I am both honored and privileged to 
congratulate Rabbi Merle E. Singer on the occasion of his retirement.
  Rabbi Singer has been at Temple Beth El of Boca Raton for 26 years. 
Before that, he served at Beth Or in Philadelphia and Temple Sinai in 
Washington, D.C. He has a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the 
University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters from 
the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Singer was 
ordained as a Reform Rabbi in June 1966.
  Rabbi Singer is one of the warmest, most charitable and caring people 
I know. I have personally seen the extraordinary kindness, 
determination and virtue that Rabbi Singer demonstrates everyday in all 
aspects of his life. As those of us privileged to know him can attest, 
Rabbi Singer is deeply devoted to his family, congregants and 
community. For the past 26 years he has been a religious guide and 
educator to his congregants serving them in every aspect of synagogue 
life. Under his leadership, Temple Beth El has grown to be one of the 
largest Reform synagogues, where the congregation maintains an 
unwavering commitment to Jewish values and the importance of a Jewish 
identity.
  Beyond the synagogue, Rabbi Singer is one of the most respected 
people in the community, promoting the highest form of tzedakah by 
bringing people of different faiths together to help those who need it 
most. He has started programs like Shared Care, which connects impaired 
seniors with members in the community--and in the process has become a 
true community leader. His civic involvement in everything from the 
United Way to the Boca Raton Community Hospital, exemplifies the 
principle of tikkun olam. Rabbi Singer's legacy in South Florida 
already extends far beyond Temple Beth El and will endure for many 
years.
  I wish Rabbi Singer much continued success and good health.

                          ____________________