[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8117]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF AGUDATH ACHIM

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                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 31, 2012

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, June 9th, I 
will have the honor of addressing the Congregation and friends of 
Agudath Achim and Jewish Community House in the City of Taunton, which 
I have been privileged to represent for these past 10 years. It will 
not be my first appearance at this temple, which is an important 
institution in the Greater Taunton Area. But this will be a meeting of 
particular significance, because it is part of a celebration of the 
Centennial Anniversary of this congregation.
  Mr. Speaker, on May 7th, the Taunton Gazette published an article 
about Agudath Achim, which is a good summary of the work it does and 
the role it has played in the community. I can attest to the work that 
Agudath Achim does, both for the Jewish community, and for the broader 
society--for example, it was the host for the most recent Martin Luther 
King Day Interfaith Observation in Taunton.
  Mr. Speaker, because this is an example of how an institution serves 
both the needs of its own people and the society at large, and because 
the Taunton Gazette did a very good job of describing this, I ask that 
the article from the Taunton Gazette be printed here, and I ask all 
Members to join me in congratulating this congregation and the work 
that they do.

           (By Marc Larocque--Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter)

       Taunton--The Congregation Agudath Achim marked 100 years in 
     the city with a rededication ceremony held at the synagogue 
     this weekend, featuring several guest speakers who talked 
     about their years as part of the Jewish community in Greater 
     Taunton.
       ``We had a chance for people of all ages to participate,'' 
     Rabbi Anne Heath said. ``The rededication was a chance for us 
     to acknowledge all of our ancestors over the past 100 years 
     and rededicate ourselves, as much as rededicating the 
     building to continue to be a home for the Jewish community 
     for the greater Taunton area. There was no champagne bottle 
     broken or major renovations, but we recognized that this has 
     been the religious and cultural home for generations of 
     Jewish people from the area.''
       Heath said the rededication was a chance to recognize some 
     of the goodwill that has come as a product of the 
     Congregation Agudath Achim throughout the last century.
       ``The synagogue has been a focal point for Jews to gather, 
     to study, to pray, and to support each other in good times 
     and bad,'' Heath said. ``It's a base of operation or a home 
     so that many of our members are involved in, doing a lot of 
     good works and good deeds throughout the community. It gives 
     us a chance to socialize and celebrate holidays. Like many 
     other organizations, especially religious ones, it helps us 
     sustain ourselves as a community.''
       Taunton resident Mike Thurman said that the rededication 
     was a chance to realize just how much the synagogue has 
     enriched his family and many others, bringing everyone 
     together, creating a great sense of community.
       ``It kind of brought back memories of when we first 
     joined,'' Thurman said. ``Some of the people who came have 
     gotten older and have moved away. It was nice to see them 
     again.''
       Thurman, a Milton native, moved to the Taunton area in 
     1975. His wife soon discovered the synagogue through word of 
     mouth, bringing the family into the fold.
       ``The synagogue is very family oriented,'' Thurman said. 
     ``The congregation is small enough that we know everyone. You 
     end up knowing how everyone's children are growing up, having 
     their bar mitzvah parties. My four daughters had their bat 
     mitzvahs there. It's good to have the synagogue in your life. 
     Basically, it's like having an extended family. Everybody 
     knows everybody. It's a generational thing. We're very 
     fortunate.''
       On June 30, there will be a reunion celebration for 
     Congregation Agudath Achim. It is another event as part of 
     the congregation's centennial celebrations.
       Congressman Barney Frank is also scheduled to be a special 
     guest speaker at a June 9 event with services starting at 9 
     a.m.
       While the congregation has grown with the times--at one 
     point it was an Orthodox synagogue in which men were 
     separated from the women, while now it is a more modern and 
     independent organization--the mission remains the same, Rabbi 
     Heath said.
       Heath said that she hopes the next century will be one in 
     which the Congregation Agudath Achim will reach further into 
     the community, touching the lives of many using the religious 
     teachings of Judaism.
       ``I think one of the most important things for our Jewish 
     community, like all other religious communities, is meet 
     people where they are, find out what's going on in their 
     lives, and to find out what we have to offer to support 
     people where they need it,'' Heath said. ``That's part of the 
     rededication and recommitment. Judaism has a strong ethical 
     component. We believe the teachings of Judaism can support 
     that, whether for a young person, a parent, an empty nester, 
     dealing with all different kinds of issues. Our teachings and 
     availability of community will play a big role. It's part of 
     the path that we really take into the future.''

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