[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6159-6160]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE TO RABBI EDWARD FEINSTEIN, SENIOR RABBI OF VALLEY BETH SHALOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 30, 2013

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
leadership and service of Rabbi Edward Feinstein. Rabbi Feinstein is 
the senior rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California and this 
year marks 20 years since he joined Valley Beth Shalom. He came to 
Valley Beth Shalom in 1993 at the invitation of the renowned Rabbi 
Harold Schulweis and succeeded him as the congregation's Senior Rabbi 
in 2005.
   I first met Rabbi Feinstein roughly twenty years ago when I joined 
Valley Beth Shalom. ``Rabbi Eddie'' has also presided over many of the 
most meaningful moments in my life, from our wedding to the baby naming 
ceremonies of each of our three girls. My wife Lisa joins me in 
saluting Rabbi Eddie on this occasion. She will never forget, nor allow 
me to forget the words he said to me under our Hoopa, ``Remember Brad, 
the House is not your home.''
   One of the leading rabbinic voices of our generation, Rabbi 
Feinstein has brought recognition to Valley Beth Shalom through his 
involvement in the national arena. Rabbi Feinstein co-chaired the 
Strategic Planning Group that convened to re-envision the United 
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
   Known nationally for his leadership, Rabbi Feinstein is ensuring the 
future of the Jewish community. He teaches a Homiletics class at the 
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is a Lecturer at the Graduate 
School of Jewish Education at American Jewish University. He is a 
member of the faculty at the highly prestigious national leadership 
program, Wexner Heritage Program, and is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow and 
faculty member at the internationally respected Shalom Hartman 
Institute.
   A masterful storyteller, he unites the ancient Jewish love of ideas 
with the warmth of Jewish humor. A survivor of two bouts of colon 
cancer, he speaks frequently to cancer support groups all over Southern 
California.
   Rabbi Feinstein was raised in the back of his parents' bakery in the 
west San Fernando Valley. He graduated with honors from the University 
of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Judaism; Columbia 
University Teachers College; and the Jewish Theological Seminary of 
America, where he was ordained a rabbi in 1981.
   Rabbi Feinstein lives with his wife Rabbi Nina Bieber Feinstein in 
the San Fernando Valley. Nina was the second woman ordained by the 
Conservative Movement. The Feinstein's are blessed with three children, 
Yonah, Nessa and Raphael.

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   Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi 
Feinstein for his commitment to Tikkun Olam, making his community and 
our world a better place. The Rabbi is an extraordinary leader whose 
service deserves to be recognized for all that he has done and will 
continue to do for our community.

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