[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7610]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WELCOMING THE GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity to recognize 
and celebrate this morning's Chaplain. Rabbi Michael Beals has served 
our community in Wilmington, DE, and our country admirably and with a 
strength of faith and foundation that you have heard in this morning's 
prayer. He is joined by his wife Elissa, a caring veterinarian, his 
daughter Ariella, whose bat mitzvah was just celebrated, and his 
daughter Shira and many other family and friends. He has a wonderful 
and accomplished education, being ordained at the Jewish Theological 
Seminary and also having studied at the American University, the 
University of California at Berkeley, and the Hebrew University in 
Jerusalem.
  In addition to his remarkable education, he is someone who is 
profoundly grounded in the calling, in the challenge of rebuilding. As 
you heard in his reflections in prayer this morning, he is someone who 
cares deeply for the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and is true to 
the Biblical calling of us to be witnesses to our communities wherever 
we might be found.
  I am grateful for the chance to add his voice to the many who have 
brought this Senate into session year in and year out over the 
centuries, and I am grateful for his friendship and leadership in my 
hometown of Wilmington, DE.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. With the Republican leader's consent, I ask now that the 
senior Senator from Delaware be allowed to say a few words regarding 
our guest Chaplain.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, Senator Coons and I spent a couple of 
lovely hours together in Michael Beals' synagogue last Saturday as his 
daughter was going through bat mitzvah. I will never forget that 
occasion. What a joy for everyone there, people from all over the 
country. I know it was a source of family pride for the father, the 
mom, and for the rabbi to be there with their daughter on that special 
day.
  To my colleagues I would say that one of the things I pray for every 
day is that we will find our way to a two-state solution in the Middle 
East that provides a homeland for the Palestinians, a capital for the 
Palestinians, and security for the people of Israel and peace for the 
people of Israel.
  There is a great partnership in our State between Rabbi Beals' 
synagogue and my church and a number of other churches of different 
faiths. I just want to mention that here today and thank you for your 
commitment not just to the least of those in our society and those who 
need our help but also across the world to a really big trouble spot 
that needs our attention and our thoughts and our prayers. I thank you 
very much for being here today. Thank you for your prayer.
  I thank the leader for letting me say a few words.

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