[ Search ] [ Legislation ] [ Bill Summary ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
90_HR0371
LRB9011903KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to congratulate Rabbi Melvin Sirner and
4 his wife, Lenore, on their twenty-fifth year of service to
5 the Beth El community in New York City; and
6 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner is a native of Chicago, Illinois;
7 he is an ex-Chicago Cub fan that made the decision to become
8 a fan of the New York Mets upon his move to New York City;
9 even though he has strayed from rooting for the Cubs, he is
10 still respected by his many family members and friends; and
11 WHEREAS, Lenore Sirner is a loving wife, who is known for
12 her patience and her caring attitude; and
13 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner is a longtime mentor and a family
14 member to Representative Jeffrey Schoenberg; and
15 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner is a graduate of the University of
16 Michigan in Ann Arbor; Rabbi Sirner received his rabbinical
17 training at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; while
18 attending seminary, Melvin Sirner was the recipient of the
19 coveted Lamport Prize in Talmud and the Rabbi Israel H.
20 Levinthal Award in Homiletics; he was also awarded a Master's
21 degree in Hebrew literature; and
22 WHEREAS, While attending college and seminary, Rabbi
23 Sirner spent several summers on the staff of the Ramah camps
24 and served on the Ramah Conference of Directors; he also led
25 teenagers on study tours of Israel; and
26 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner began his tenure at Beth El as
27 assistant rabbi from 1972 to 1975, and then as associate
28 rabbi from 1975 to 1976, both under Rabbi David I.
29 Golovensky; upon the retirement of Rabbi Golovensky, Rabbi
30 Sirner was named senior rabbi of Beth El; and
-2- LRB9011903KBkb
1 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner is actively involved in causes on
2 behalf of the state and people of Israel; he has served on
3 the board of the New Rochelle District and Westchester Region
4 of the Zionist Organization of America; he is a current
5 member of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish
6 Appeal, which encourages all rabbis to participate in United
7 Jewish Appeal efforts; Rabbi Sirner has served as president
8 of the Westchester Board of Rabbis (Conservative, Reform,
9 Orthodox, and Reconstructionist); he has served on the
10 Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly's
11 International Association of Conservative Rabbis; Rabbi
12 Sirner is a member of the Westchester Rabbinic Roundtable;
13 Rabbi Sirner has also served on the Chancellor's Rabbinic
14 Cabinet at the Jewish Theological Seminary; Rabbi Sirner was
15 a founding member of the Interreligious Council of New
16 Rochelle, and currently serves on the Board of Directors; he
17 is a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the City
18 of New Rochelle; he chairs the Pastoral Care Committee of
19 Sound Store Medical Center; he participates in the Meals on
20 Wheels program; he is a supporter of the H.O.P.E. Soup
21 Kitchen; he is also actively involved in the Solomon
22 Schectner School of Westchester; and
23 WHEREAS, Lenore Richman Sirner was born and raised in
24 Brooklyn; she received her education at the Shulamith School
25 for Girls and attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School;
26 she spent her summers at Hebrew-speaking Camp Massad in the
27 Poconos, where she was both a camper and a staff member; she
28 is a graduate of George Washington University, and received
29 her Master's degree in social work from New York University;
30 she received a Certificate in Advanced Social Welfare from
31 the doctoral program of the Columbia University School of
32 Social Work; she worked for the New York Hospital Cornell
33 University Medical Center and later for the United States
34 Public Health Service, Division of Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and
-3- LRB9011903KBkb
1 Mental Health; she is currently the director of Social Work
2 Case Management for Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White
3 Plains; and
4 WHEREAS, In 1983 Rabbi and Lenore Sirner received the
5 Crown of the Torah Award, in recognition of their ten years
6 of service to Beth El; the Sirners are the proud parents of
7 Gabrielle, Abigail, and Ari; and
8 WHEREAS, Rabbi Sirner is an invaluable part of the
9 community; he is known for his friendly handshake, warm
10 personality, and comforting ways; it is a pleasure to honor
11 him and his wife for twenty-five years of dedicated service
12 to their community; therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15 congratulate Rabbi Melvin Sirner and his wife, Lenore, on the
16 occasion of their twenty-fifth anniversary serving the Beth
17 El community; may this native of Chicago, Illinois always
18 remember his roots as he serves elsewhere; we thank him for
19 representing our State so well; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to Rabbi Melvin Sirner and his wife, Lenore, in
22 celebration of their good work.