WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Relase)—The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the construction of a long-overdue memorial in Arlington National Cemetery for Jewish Chaplains who have died on the battlefield. The Senate’s authorization comes on the heels of approval by the U.S. House of Representatives and brings the memorial one step closer to construction.
Members of Congress heralded the Memorial’s passage on Thursday, May 26:
“This memorial will be a fitting commemoration of thirteen chaplains who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation,” said Senator Charles Schumer who introduced the bill in the Senate. “Every day, military chaplains risk their own safety and security to provide essential support to our deployed service members. Those who have lost their lives in the line of service deserve our highest respect, and I am so pleased that we were able to pass this legislation through the Senate.”
“Especially on this Memorial Day weekend, it is a great honor to have supported the creation of this long overdue memorial to the Jewish Chaplains who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and the troops with whom they served,” said Senator Patty Murray, who pushed forward the memorial as Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This memorial is not only a permanent testament to the bravery of those chaplains, it’s also the culmination of the work of so many in the Jewish community who rightfully fought for its place on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery.”
“Jewish chaplains who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms will now finally have a memorial to honor their heroics,” said Congressman Anthony Weiner, who introduced the measure in the House of Representatives. “That this legislation passed with such broad bipartisan support in time for Jewish American Heritage Month is a reflection of how important and needed this monument really is, as well as a reflection of the hard work of organizations like The Jewish Federations of North America.”
The Jewish Federations of North America have been working in partnership with the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) Jewish Chaplains Council of the JCC Association of America and dozens of other national and locally-based organizations, for nearly three years to establish a memorial for the 13 fallen Jewish chaplains alongside Protestant and Catholic chaplains in Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial, which has already been designed and paid for by private donations, must now be approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and then construction can commence.
“Congressional passage of this bill is an important step toward ensuring that we recognize the heroic sacrifices of the 13 Jewish chaplains who have died serving our country, and whose names deserve to be memorialized in our national resting place,” said Cheryl Fishbein, Chair of The Jewish Federations of North America Domestic Affairs Cabinet.
The memorial not only gained Congressional approval during Jewish American Heritage Month and on the eve of Memorial Day, but comes as we mark the 150-year anniversary of Jewish chaplains in the armed forces. Officials plan to hold a ceremony this fall to unveil the memorial on Chaplains Hill in our national resting place.
“With Congressional approval, we are eager to begin construction of the memorial to these fallen heroes and look forward to visiting Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery in the near future to pay tribute to them and their contributions to our nation’s history,” said William Daroff, the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America.
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WASHINGTON—Last night, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the construction of a long-overdue memorial in Arlington National Cemetery for Jewish Chaplains who have died on the battlefield. The Senate’s authorization comes on the heels of approval by the U.S. House of Representatives and brings the memorial one step closer to construction.
Members of Congress heralded the Memorial’s passage:
“This memorial will be a fitting commemoration of thirteen chaplains who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation,” said Senator Charles Schumer who introduced the bill in the Senate. “Every day, military chaplains risk their own safety and security to provide essential support to our deployed service members. Those who have lost their lives in the line of service deserve our highest respect, and I am so pleased that we were able to pass this legislation through the Senate.”
“Especially on this Memorial Day weekend, it is a great honor to have supported the creation of this long overdue memorial to the Jewish Chaplains who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and the troops with whom they served,” said Senator Patty Murray, who pushed forward the memorial as Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This memorial is not only a permanent testament to the bravery of those chaplains, it’s also the culmination of the work of so many in the Jewish community who rightfully fought for its place on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery.”
“Jewish chaplains who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms will now finally have a memorial to honor their heroics,” said Congressman Anthony Weiner, who introduced the measure in the House of Representatives. “That this legislation passed with such broad bipartisan support in time for Jewish American Heritage Month is a reflection of how important and needed this monument really is, as well as a reflection of the hard work of organizations like The Jewish Federations of North America.”
The Jewish Federations of North America have been working in partnership with the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) Jewish Chaplains Council of the JCC Association of America and dozens of other national and locally-based organizations, for nearly three years to establish a memorial for the 13 fallen Jewish chaplains alongside Protestant and Catholic chaplains in Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial, which has already been designed and paid for by private donations, must now be approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and then construction can commence.
“Congressional passage of this bill is an important step toward ensuring that we recognize the heroic sacrifices of the 13 Jewish chaplains who have died serving our country, and whose names deserve to be memorialized in our national resting place,” said Cheryl Fishbein, Chair of The Jewish Federations of North America Domestic Affairs Cabinet.
The memorial not only gained Congressional approval during Jewish American Heritage Month and on the eve of Memorial Day, but comes as we mark the 150-year anniversary of Jewish chaplains in the armed forces. Officials plan to hold a ceremony this fall to unveil the memorial on Chaplains Hill in our national resting place.
“With Congressional approval, we are eager to begin construction of the memorial to these fallen heroes and look forward to visiting Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery in the near future to pay tribute to them and their contributions to our nation’s history,” said William Daroff, the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America.
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Preceding provided by the Jewish Federations of North America