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IN HONOR OF RITA SEMEL'S 100TH BIRTHDAY
______
HON. NANCY PELOSI
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a visionary and inspiring leader, my longtime friend Rita Semel, as she recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Beloved in the Bay Area and beyond, Rita has torn down barriers to peace and brought communities together--here at home and around the world.
Personally, it has been a great privilege to have had a front row seat to Rita's greatness for many decades. Deeply committed to her faith and driven by her values, every day she lives out the spirit of tikkun olam, `to heal the world'--which she teaches us is not just a gentle phrase, but a clarion call to action.
Born a New Yorker, but forged into a true San Franciscan by more than eight decades in the Bay Area, Rita has long seen the world not as it is but as it could be--and has labored tirelessly to make real her inspiring vision. At a time when few women could be found in the workplace, she helped break barriers by serving as a reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle during World War II and freelancing for nonprofits as a working mother.
San Franciscans are especially grateful for her decades of leadership of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, which she helped establish in the wake of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake to bring our community together. Under her leadership, the Council has been a force for justice and opportunity and has improved countless lives: from offering emergency shelter in the winter for people experiencing homelessness to fostering interreligious understanding to creating a chaplaincy program at the Youth Guidance Center, and so much more.
That this revered Bay Area institution, three decades later, continues to unite San Franciscans across races, religions and economic backgrounds is a testament to her unyielding belief that we are always more powerful together than we could ever be alone.
As she advanced justice at home, Rita has also brought boundless energy and a fierce spirit to her work building a world without poverty, violence or discrimination. All Americans can be proud of her service representing our nation to the world as a delegate to two United Nations World Conferences on Women. And as a longtime Jewish activist, she was an early and vocal supporter of the state in Israel--
and has been an essential force in advancing a safer, fairer future for Jewish people around the world.
All who have had the high honor of working alongside Rita know that she never takes no for an answer--and it is best to save time and just agree with her right from the start. For her relentless work, she has been recognized with many accolades, including Woman of the Year by the California State Assembly, the San Francisco Foundation's Community Leadership Award and the Rosa Parks Award from Women in Community Service. Most importantly, however, her impact is measured by the indelible mark she leaves on the lives of her loved ones, her many friends and all fortunate enough to know her.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I extend the warm greetings of the Congress to the extraordinary Rita Semel as she and her loved ones celebrate her century on this earth--and offer best wishes for happy and healthy years to come.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On pages E1262-E1263, November 23, 2021, the following appeared: IN HONOR OF RITA SEMEL'S 100THBIRTHDAY---------------HON. NANCY PELOSI OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, November 23, 2021 Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a visionary and inspiring leader, my longtime friend Rita Semel, as she recently . . . her century on this earth-and offer best wishes for happy and healthy years to come. RECOGNIZING RICHARD WILSON'S SERVICE AS A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE --------------- HON. ADAM SMITH OF WASHINGTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, November 23, 2021 Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker,
The online version has been corrected to read: IN HONOR OF RITA SEMEL'S 100TH BIRTHDAY --------------- HON. NANCY PELOSI OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, November 23, 2021 Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a visionary and inspiring leader, my longtime friend Rita Semel, as she recently . . . her century on this earth-and offer best wishes for happy and healthy years to come. IN HONOR OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS --------------- HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT OF ALABAMA
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 203
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