[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEWISH PEOPLE TO AMERICA

  (Mr. SARBANES asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Jewish American 
Heritage Month to recognize the contributions the Jewish people have 
made to our country.
  I have come to understand that to the Jewish people, the word 
``heritage'' has deep meaning. It is not simply a sense of pride or 
history. It is a belief that each person should in some way improve the 
world. The often quoted Rabbi Hillel asked the question, ``If I am not 
for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, who am I?''
  It is this same set of values that brings Jewish groups to the Hill 
advocating not just for so-called Jewish issues, but for issues that 
affect everyone; better education, better healthcare, more protections 
for the environment, free speech, and separation of church and state. 
The Jewish community feels a special obligation to repair the world, 
one little piece at a time, for all people, not just their own.
  I am grateful to the organizations in my own district for their 
contributions to our community. From providing educational and social 
services, to involvement in local and national policy, the commitment 
to improving our society is one of the many values I have come to 
respect in the Jewish community in Baltimore and across this Nation.

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