[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7988]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING RIVERDALE TEMPLE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, a centerpiece of any community can usually be 
found in a neighborhood religious institution. In Riverdale one such 
institution is the Riverdale Temple which is celebrating its 65th year 
as a liberal Jewish congregation.
  In February 1947 a small group met in the Riverdale Neighborhood 
House to discuss the establishment of a new temple. By September, the 
charter establishing it was signed and 67 families founded the 
Riverdale Temple, the first Jewish congregation in Riverdale. The 
Honorable Francis J. Bloustein was named first president and a dynamic 
rabbi infused with enthusiasm for the new project, Charles E. Shulman, 
was recruited from Chicago to become the first rabbi of the ``liberal 
congregation.''
  The new Riverdale Temple initially met at the Arrowhead Inn and a 
Religious School, Sisterhood, and Youth Group were formed. In 1952, the 
building was demolished and the Riverdale Temple was homeless. These 
difficult times drew the congregants closer and services were conducted 
first at Christ Church, then at Riverdale Presbyterian Church, and 
Religious School classes moved from the Riverdale Country School to the 
Fieldston School. Yom Kippur services were held in Horace Mann School. 
In June 1953, the cornerstone for the new Riverdale Temple was laid, in 
March 1954, the new building was opened and, in September 1954, the 
building was formally dedicated.
  All are welcome at the Riverdale Temple no matter what their approach 
to Judaism or degree of Jewish literacy. The temple is founded on the 
principals of faith, mitzvot and tikkun olam and offers communal 
support. It has a beautiful sanctuary with a rich and evolving musical 
tradition.
  I congratulate the Riverdale Temple on 65 years of giving 
unstintingly to the community and in its tradition of welcoming 
everyone. I have visited the Temple many times and have felt its 
inspiration and its warmth. It has truly brought the Riverdale and 
surrounding communities closer together.

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