The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TWIN CITIES COMMUNITY HONORS INFLUENTIAL RESIDENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E544-E546 on April 16, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TWIN CITIES COMMUNITY HONORS INFLUENTIAL RESIDENT
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HON. BRUCE F. VENTO
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 16, 1996
Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the work of Rev. James w. Battle and to thank him for his outstanding dedication to the St. Paul/Minneapolis communities in Minnesota.
Reverend Battle is the pastor of the Mount Olivet Baptist Church in St. Paul. His activities in the community, however, go far beyond his duties as pastor. Recently, the Luther Seminary recognized him for some of those activities by giving him the Seminary's Race, Church and Change Award. This award was given to Reverend Battle to honor him for his outstanding and tireless efforts to improve cross-cultural relations within the community.
Along with organizations such as the Urban League, Chamber of Commerce, Council on Black Minnesotans, Rainbow Coalition and others, Reverend Battle has taken the lead in the efforts to address many of our community's most daunting problems. He helped organize a meeting of gang leaders from cities across the Nation, brought together to talk about problems associated with gang activity and how they could help forge peace between gangs in their communities. On the local level, he has helped unite several Twin Cities congregations, forming the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Churches. This amazingly effective alliance is helping these 16 congregations coordinate their efforts to address community problems.
During the years he spent giving his time and efforts to our community, Reverend Battle has participated in many efforts to improve the lives of our most precious and vulnerable citizens, our children. They are the future of the Twin Cities, and the nation. By opening doors of opportunity for young Minnesotans in the Twin Cities, Reverend Battle has helped ensure a strong future for our community. The mentoring and guidance he has provided to so many youth will not only increase those children's chances to achieve success, it will also ensure that the next generation of Twin Cities adults feels the same commitment to their community and respect for their neighbors that Reverend Battle holds in such high regard. These lessons are some of the most valuable ones a child will learn in his or her lifetime, and Reverend Battle has served as an exceptional teacher of these lessons.
There is still much work left to be done to address and fill the needs of some Twin Cities residents. However, Reverend Battle's efforts serve as a strong foundation as he and the rest of our community continue this struggle. I join the entire Twin Cities community in thanking him for his hard work on behalf of the community and its residents, and I look to walk through Samaria and face the problems and meet the challenges of the community with a strong leader, Rev. James W. Battle.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter the following article into the Record. It was printed in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on April 9, 1996. It is a wonderful summary of the good work Reverend Battle has accomplished in the Twin Cities.
Pastor Honored For Community Ministry
(By Pat Burson)
The Rev. James W. Battle Sr. has preached peace to gang members, repentance to sinners and colorblind community service to the clergy.
Battle, known as much for his social activism as his pastorship of Mount Olivet Baptist Church in St. Paul, has opened the church's doors to the community for meetings. In 1993, he helped organize a summit meeting of gang leaders from around the nation to sit down and talk. He helped start an organization to unite local congregations to work collectively to solve problems in their communities.
Luther Seminary will award Battle, pastor of Mount Olivet, its annual Race, Church and Change Award today.
In giving him the award, Luther Seminary honors one of its own: Battle received a master's of divinity degree from the school in 1977. ``It really surprised me,'' Battle said. ``It let's me know you can make a difference in this world.''
According to Rod Maeker, Luther Seminary's director of cross cultural-education, the award is given to unsung heroes for faithfulness to a ministry of reconciliation.
``The seminary views the Rev. Battle's exemplary ministry as a wonderful role model for seminary students, parish pastors and community leaders who are committed to serving their community,'' Maeker said. ``He's a classic.''
Battle has also worked to improve communication and relations between residents, merchants and organizations in the Frogtown neighborhood. And he is co-founder and co-chairman of the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations, an interdenominational, multiracial, grass-roots organization started in 1990 that brings together about 16 local congregations to address housing, education, crime and employment issues within neighborhoods.
Local ministers applaud Battle's insistence that churches get more involved in improving social, economic and living conditions within the communities they serve.
``He's been consistent in saying that churches need to be more responsive to those who have been left out--the underserved--whatever race,'' said the Rev. James Erlandson, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer who also is involved with the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations.
``Primarily, churches serve the middle class,'' Erlandson said, ``If we're going to be consistent with Jesus' message and the prophets' message, we need to serve the poor and those who have been left out of the economic process, so we can be a voice for those folks. He's been reminding us of that.''
Battle also is known as an advocate for families, children and education. He recently was involved with the Twin Cities African American Parent Involvement Committee, a local group that organized the African American Parent Involvement Day on Feb. 12. The effort was part of a national push to encourage more black parents to take an active role in their children's education.
Phillip Penn, human resources director for the St. Paul Public Schools, said Battle was an enthusiastic member of that organizing committee, attending all the meetings, and even opening his church for gatherings some Saturday mornings. Battle also was key in alerting other ministers about the project and urging them to spread the word to members of their congregations, Penn said.
``He was just extremely supportive in every way.''
THE PASSING OF RABBI ARTHUR J. LELYVELD
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HON. LOUIS STOKES
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 16, 1996
Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened to announce the passing of Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld on April 15, 1996. Rabbi Lelyveld held the post of Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Anshe Chesed congregation (Fairmount Temple), having served as Senior Rabbi for 28 years. With his passing, we mourn the loss of a close friend and a nationally recognized civil rights and religious leader. I rise to share with my colleagues some important information regarding Rabbi Lelyveld and his contributions to the Nation.
Throughout his life, Rabbi Lelyveld was a strong and effective leader in the Jewish community. He was the founder and first president of the Jewish Peace Fellowship. In addition, Rabbi Lelyveld was the past national president of the American Jewish Congress and the American Jewish League for Israel. He served as national director of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations, and executive vice chairman of the American-
Israel Cultural Foundation.
During his lifetime, Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld was equally committed to the struggle for civil rights and social justice. At the height of the civil rights movement, Rabbi Lelyveld traveled with other clergy to Mississippi where they served as counselors to the Commission on Race and Religion. Although he was severely beaten, Rabbi Lelyveld was unwavering in his belief that the battle for equality could be won. He was a man of courage who shared a close friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others involved in the struggle.
The Greater Cleveland community also benefited immensely as a result of Rabbi Lelyveld's strong dedication. He was a gifted orator and a well-known author who was able to draw upon his life experiences as a lesson for others. Rabbi Lelyveld served as the Bernard Rich Hollander lecturer in Jewish thought at John Carroll University, and senior teaching fellow at the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies. He also served as adjunct professor of religion at Case Western Reserve University.
The passing of Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld brings to a close a life of service which transcended religious and racial boundaries. He was a brilliant man who devoted his enormous intellect and energies to addressing and working to solve the inequities and ills in our society. He fiercely fought discrimination and racism wherever he encountered it. I came to know Rabbi Lelyveld through our serving on the board of directors together in the Cleveland Chapter, NAACP, and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in Cleveland. He was a man of peace but a warrior for righting the wrongs in our society.
In later years, one of my fondest memories was that I had the honor of presenting Rabbi Lelyveld when he served as guest chaplain for the House of Representatives. In his opening prayer delivered in this Chamber in 1993, Rabbi Lelyveld challenged us to conquer the problems facing our Nation, such as homelessness, hunger, and crime. He challenged us to set the standard for other nations to follow. In his prayer, Rabbi Lelyveld shared his vision for this Nation--``a vision of brotherhood, justice and peace.''
On April 17, 1996, services for Rabbi Lelyveld will be held at Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, OH. It is my hope that his loving and devoted wife, Teela; his children, Robin, Joseph, David, and Michael; and other members of the family, will take comfort in knowing that others share their sorrow. Rabbi Lelyveld will be remembered for his service to humanity. In tribute to Rabbi Lelyveld, let us work together with renewed vigor to make his vision for our society a reality.
I want to share with my colleagues an article regarding Rabbi Lelyveld which appeared in the Plain Dealer newspaper.
Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld, Civil Rights Figure, Dies at 83
(By Zina Vishnevsky)
Cleveland--Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld, nationally known as a fighter for civil rights and the state of Israel, died yesterday of complications from a brain tumor at Montefiore Home in Beachwood. He was 83.
the Cleveland resident was the spiritual leader of Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, one of the country's three largest Reform congregations.
He gained notoriety for his involvement in the formation of Israel, the civil rights movement and in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
He was rabbi of Fairmount Temple from 1958 until retiring in 1986. After becoming senior rabbi emeritus at Fairmount, he served as a lecturer in Jewish thought at John Carroll University, a Jesuit institution.
Rabbi David J. Gelfand, now the leader at Fairmount Temple, said Lelyveld used strict Judaic teachings to bring his civil rights message to synagogues.
``He spoke fearlessly as one of the great advocates of civil rights by making the message of the prophets come alive through his words and deeds,'' he said. ``He emphasized from our own Jewish particularity the eternal importance of universality, the notion that all human beings are interrelated.
``He was fond of saying we were all made in the image of God.''
Lelyveld served on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP in the 1960s and played a major role in the civil rights progress of Cleveland.
``He was the conscience of the community on many critical issues,'' said Carole Hoover, president of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. ``His strength was in his ability to pull us all together.''
He was one of the nation's first rabbis to join the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign for civil rights. He participated in key marches, including Selma to Mongomery, Ala., and provided financial support to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
In 1964, as part of the Cleveland clergy team, Lelyveld served as a counselor for the Council of Federated Organizations under the National Council of Churches Commission on Race and Religion.
He was beaten with tire irons by segregationists while helping to register black voters in Hattiesburg, Miss.
``He was a giant--both as a rabbi and as a civil rights leader. He used his brilliant and keen mind to make people think deeper about social issues,'' said Rep. Louis Stokes, a Cleveland Democrat, who served on the NAACP board with Lelyveld in the 1960s. Stokes; his brother, former Mayor Carl B. Stokes; and Lelyveld became lifelong friends.
After the beating in Hattiesburg, Lelyveld said that he worried that police would not apprehend the suspects in his assault and would continue to harass civil rights workers.
He issued a statement to his supporters in Mississippi.
``There is only one way to stay here and not be corrupted, only one way to stay and be faithful to Israel's convenants: That is to stay and stand up for decency and freedom, with all the risks involved. If you cannot do that--and it is understandable if you can't--then for the sake of your souls, leave Mississippi.''
A month later, the men who beat Lelyveld received suspended sentences ``on condition of good behavior'' and were fined
$500 each.
Although he was an anti-Zionist early in his rabbinical career, Lelyveld later said that he had ``become convinced of the righteousness of the cause.''
He worked for the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state when many American Reform Jews were not always strongly inclined to support Zionism or a modern state of Israel. He met with President Harry S. Truman at the White House in 1946 to encourage U.S. support for a Jewish state, at a time when the State Department seemed hostile to the idea.
In 1970, during the election to his third term as national president of the American Jewish Congress, he spoke out against an attack by Jewish extremists on Arab diplomats in New York in retaliation for a school bus attack in Israel.
``We cannot allow the horrifying acts of Middle East terrorists to push us into committing or condoning irrational attempts to take violent reprisals against Arab representatives in our country,'' he said.
Born in Manhattan, Lelyveld attended public schools in New York City and graduated from George Washington High School in Manhattan when he was 15 years old.
He attended Columbia College and was the first Jewish editor-in-chief of its newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator. He was the student leader of the Glee Club, led a band called the Columbia Ramblers and participated in soccer and wrestling. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1933.
He earned his master's degree in Jewish theology and was ordained a rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. He then taught on a fellowship from Hebrew Union College for two years while his rabbinae was at Congregation B'nai Israel in Hamilton, Ohio.
He became a founder and first president of the Jewish Peace Fellowship, where he worked from 1941 until 1944.
Lelyveld served as executive director of the Zionist Organization of America's Committee on Unity for Palestine from 1946 to 1948. He was national director of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation from 1947 to 1956. From 1956 until he came to Cleveland in 1958, he was executive vice president of the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.
He served as national president of the American Jewish Congress for three consecutive terms from 1966 until 1972 and had served at various times as president of the Synagogue Council of America and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, an association of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada.
Lelyveld and his wife, Teela, made 28 visits to Israel.
As president of the Synagogue Council of America, Lelyveld served as a representative to the Vatican to improve Catholic-Jewish relations.
Lelyveld taught two religion courses at John Carroll University through the Jewish Chautauqua Society as the Bernard Rich Hollander lecturer, beginning in 1980. In 1989, he filled the Walter and Mary Tuohy Chair of Interreligious Studies at John Carroll.
In 1985, he spent a five-month sabbatical in South Africa as the guest of the United Progressive Jewish Congregation of Johannesburg.
His son, Joseph S., was a long-time New York Times correspondent who covered South Africa during the 1960s and again in the 1980s and is now executive editor of the Times. Lelyveld had once considered a career in journalism himself when he was in college.
In the late 1980s, after he retired from an active role at Fairmount Temple, Lelyveld spent several months in Oxford, England, as a scholar-in-residence at Oxford University. He returned again over the years and was invited back last summer.
He was also an author, One of his books, ``The Steadfast Stream: An Introduction to Jewish Social Values,'' was published in September.
As past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, he wrote a book responding to contemporary radical theology entitled ``Atheism is Dead,'' First published in 1968 by World Publishing Co., it was reissued in paperback in 1970 and again in paperback in 1985.
He was mentioned or written about in at least four books in 1993, including ``A History of Jews in America,'' by Howard Schar, and ``Truman,'' a biography by David McCullough.
In 1988, while on leave from John Carroll, Lelyveld served as a chaplain and lecturer on a 100-day Grand Circle Pacific Cruise aboard the Royal Viking Sea.
He was awarded the 1992 Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Social Justice by the African American Archives Auxiliary of the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Lelyveld served as senior rabbi at Temple Emanu El in Honolulu, Hawaii, from September 1994 until June.
He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Pastoral Psychology Institute of Case Western Reserve University's College of Medicine.
Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Teela, and daughter, Robin of Bethesda, Md. He is also survived by three sons from his first marriage to Toby Bookholtz: Joseph S. and David S., both of New York, and Michael S. of Arlington, Mass.; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Fairmount Temple, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood. Arrangements are by Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights.
Contributions may be sent to the Arthur J. Lelyveld Memorial Foundation, c/o Fairmount Temple, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood 44122; or to the Religion Department of John Carroll University, 20700 N. Park Blvd., University Heights 44118; or to the Montefiore Nursing Home Hospice, David Myers Pkwy., Beachwood 44122.
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