[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MR. RABBI LEE T. BYCEL

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 19, 2017

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi 
Lee T. Bycel upon his retirement after serving Congregation Beth Shalom 
(CBS) and the Napa community since 2012. In addition to being a well-
liked and respected spiritual leader, Rabbi Bycel served as an Adjunct 
Professor of Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San 
Francisco.
  Rabbi Bycel graduated from the University of California at Berkeley 
with a BA in Philosophy, received his rabbinic ordination from the 
Hebrew Union College, and earned a doctorate from the Claremont School 
of Theology. Growing up in Southeast Los Angeles County, he learned the 
importance of diversity and inclusiveness. He was raised in a mostly 
Latino neighborhood, in one of just two Jewish families in the 
community. Rabbi Bycel has said, ``I respect and care about all human 
beings on this earth,'' and has demonstrated this through his countless 
humanitarian efforts.
  A leader in educational, cultural, and social justice, he has made 
several humanitarian trips to East Africa, including Darfur, Chad, 
South Sudan, Kenya, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. In Rwanda, he visited 
refugee and internally displaced person camps, helped address poverty 
and disease, and spoke out against genocide. Rabbi Bycel is one of the 
coalition founders and 2017 Co-Chair of MLK Monday: A Day of Action and 
Compassion, which is a community of over 80 nonprofit organizations, 
faith groups, government officials, and agencies, local businesses, and 
local service organizations who join together each year to celebrate 
the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2014, Rabbi Bycel 
was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum Council. He has been recognized for his work with the 
Humanitarian Award of the National Conference for Community and Justice 
(NCCJ).
  Rabbi Bycel is also an educational leader, sharing with the 
Congregation Beth Shalom his fifteen years of experience as the Dean of 
the Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. 
There he also served as the Senior Academic and Administrative Officer 
of the campus and director of the rabbinic school. He served as 
Assistant Professor of Leadership and Applied Theology and the Smither 
Visiting Professor of World Religions at the Claremont School of 
Theology.
  Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Bycel is a humanist anchored in Jewish values. He 
is an exceptional community leader, humanitarian, and husband in our 
community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here 
today and extend our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

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