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(L-R)Ari Scharf - founder and director of Project Mesorah; Sidney Greenberger – Board of Governors of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission; Phil Friedman -  founder Computer Generated Solutions (CGS); Stanley Tate – former head the Resolution Trust Corporation; Rabbi Simcha Scholar - Executive Vice President of Chai Lifeline; Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL); Rabbi Elie Abadie - founding Rabbi of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue; Rabbi Abe Friedman - Community Liaison to the New York State Senate on Homeland Security; Ezra Friedlander – CEO The Friedlander Group;  Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis ; Alyza Lewin, ESQ from Lewin & Lewin, LLP specializing in litigation and government relations ; Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)

Washington - In honor of Jewish Heritage Month, lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill this past Wednesday in the ornate LBJ Room located just off the Senate floor to celebrate the accomplishments of six Jews who were recognized for their contributions to the “360 year tradition of furthering American ideals”.

Lawmakers who took part in this event were Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Representatives Peter King, and Ileana-Ros Lehinten, who heads the powerful Homeland Security and International Relations committees, along with Democratic National Committee Chair Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Members of Congress Congressmen Bob Turner of NY, Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas, as well as Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming.

Personalities honored in Jewish life were Rabbi Simcha Scholar, executive vice president of the world renowned Chai Lifeline, Rabbi Abe Friedman, a Chasidic community leader from the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, Alyza Lewin, Esq, who has helped numerous individuals who have been denied a security clearance and government employees because of their religion, Rabbi Elie Abadie,  a practicing physician, founding rabbi of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue and director of the Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies at Yeshiva University, Phil Friedman, founder of Computer Generated Solutions, a multinational company and Ari Scharf, director of Project Mesorah which is committed to educating Jewish youth about their heritage.

“It is important that we acknowledged Jewish community leaders in a venue as high profile as the U.S. Capitol, giving our representatives in congress the opportunity to recognize them during May, Jewish American Heritage Month,” said Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group, the coordinator of the event.

More than 100 guests from New York took part in the event.

The celebration of May as Jewish Heritage Month came about as a result of the efforts of the aforementioned Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz who urged then President George W. Bush to proclaim May as Jewish Heritage Month.  President Bush complied with the request and the annual tradition is continued today by President Obama.

Video below of the event. Credit: Shmuel Lenchevsky

Standing L-R Sidney Greenberger – Chairman of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission; Representative John Anthony Barrasso III (R –Wyoming) speaking; Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis ;Ezra Friedlander – CEO The Friedlander Group;  Sitting Rabbi Abe Friedman - Community Liaison to the New York State Senate on Homeland Security; Rabbi Simcha Scholar - Executive Vice President of Chai Lifeline;  Rabbi Elie Abadie - founding Rabbi of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue; Phil Friedman -  founder Computer Generated Solutions (CSG); Ari Scharf - founder and director of Project Mesorah; Alyza Lewin, ESQ from Lewin & Lewin, LLP specializing in litigation and government relations

L-R Representative Robert L. "Bob" Turner (R-NY); Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) - Chair of the Democratic National Committee; Rabbi Abe Friedman - Community Liaison to the New York State Senate on Homeland Security; Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis; Ezra Friedlander – CEO The Friedlander Group

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