[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING RABBI JON E. CUTLER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PATRICK J. MURPHY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 16, 2009

  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Rabbi Jon E. Cutler--the only Jewish Chaplain currently serving 
in western Iraq. And as a former paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne 
Division who served in Baghdad 5 years ago and the first Iraq war 
veteran to serve in this great body, it fills me with tremendous pride 
to be Rabbi Cutler's Congressman. Rabbi Cutler has set an example for 
all of us--not just through his spiritual leadership--but through 
selfless service to our community and our nation.
  In Iraq, Rabbi Cutler serves as the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing 
Chaplain, and assists the entire Al Asad Marine Air Base. Prior to his 
service in Iraq, Rabbi Cutler served as the pulpit rabbi of Tiferes 
B'nai Israel in Warrington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania for the past 8 
years.
  As the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Chaplain, Rabbi Cutler supervises 20 
Christian chaplains and chaplain assistants, and has worked to create a 
center for Jewish troops who are serving in Anbar Province. The 
congregants of Tiferes B'nai Israel even contributed to this effort, 
sending tiles and paste to be used for the chapel floor.
  As the Rabbi for Tiferes B'nai Israel in Warrington, Rabbi Cutler 
worked tirelessly to unite his congregants, both old and new. He 
strived to make new members feel welcome while respecting the needs and 
wishes of long-standing members. Before he was deployed to Iraq, he 
also proudly received his Navy commander pins on the pulpit at Tiferes 
B'nai Israel.
  Commander Cutler has been a chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 23 
years. He was the only Jewish chaplain serving with the Marines in 
Desert Storm, and after 9/11, he was called to the Pentagon to counsel 
family members who lost loved ones during the tragic events of that 
terrible day.
  When not serving our troops in Iraq or his congregants in Warrington, 
Rabbi Cutler has served as an instructor at Gratz College for Jewish 
education and a visiting professor at Philadelphia University. He 
received his B.A. and M.A. in religious studies from Temple University, 
and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from Hebrew Union 
College. Rabbi Cutler was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical 
College in Wyncote, PA.
  Rabbi Cutler has contributed enormously to the citizens of Bucks 
County and given so much to so many servicemen and women serving 
abroad. He leads by example and is committed to service, spiritual 
leadership and education. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Rabbi 
Cutler for his outstanding work, and am extremely honored to serve as 
his Congressman.

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