[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5613-5614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRATULATING TEMPLE ISRAEL OF LAWRENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 9, 2008

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate 
Temple Israel of Lawrence, New York, on its 100th anniversary.
  Temple Israel is the oldest temple on Long Island. It was founded in 
1908 as Temple Israel of Far Rockaway. The congregation moved to its 
current location in 1930. A new school center was created in 1948 to 
better accommodate the educational needs of the congregation and then 
again in 1966 with new social facilities. Temple Israel continues to 
thrive to this day, as the religious and nursery schools have unusually 
large enrollments.
  The Temple reaches beyond just the ``Five Towns'' and extends around 
the world. Temple Israel participates in a number of interfaith and 
cross-cultural programs. There are exchange programs, such as an 
American Jewish and Italian Catholic exchange program with the Vatican, 
which help bring about greater understanding and compromise among the 
participants.
  I applaud these efforts of the congregation because I, too, am a 
strong believer in bringing people with different backgrounds together 
to find common ground. I participated in the Women's Democracy Fund to 
help bring

[[Page 5614]]

women together in Northern Ireland to contribute to the peace process. 
The program has more recently moved to bringing Israeli and Palestinian 
women together as an effort to also help bring about peace in that 
region.
  The Temple Israel congregation is ably led by Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum and 
Cantor Galina Paliy. Rabbi Rosenbaum is the spiritual and education 
leader of Temple Israel. He is well known on Long Island and throughout 
the American rabbinate. He works across the international arena in 
building bridges of understanding and compromise between the American 
Jewish community and Jewish communities and foreign governments around 
the world and between Jews and other religions. Rabbi Rosenbaum also 
worked with first responders and victim's families at Ground Zero 
following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I am glad to hear that Rabbi 
Rosenbaum will be joining me in Washington, DC, later this month in 
welcoming Pope Benedict XVI on his first papal visit to the United 
States.
  Temple Israel of Lawrence is part of a rich Jewish history in the 
United States. In 2003, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 106, which 
recognizes and honors America's Jewish community on the occasion of its 
350th anniversary. The first known Jews arrived from Brazil in 1654. 
They established the first Jewish community in New York City. Jews have 
contributed in so many ways to American society, including civic, 
social, economic, military, and cultural life. I am glad to see that 
Temple Israel Lawrence has played a large role in that extensive Jewish 
American history.
  Once again, I wish to extend my sincerest congratulations and warm 
wishes to Temple Israel of Lawrence on its 100th anniversary and look 
forward to another successful 100 years.

                          ____________________