Frank Lautenberg: “this is a very welcome moment for me because I have known Rabbi Orenstein personally for many years. Members of my…”

“this is a very welcome moment for me because I have known Rabbi Orenstein personally for many years. Members of my family have worshiped at his synagogue, the Congregation Beth El in South Orange. I have worshiped with him for 35 years. Rabbi Orenstein is going to be retiring from Congregation Beth El very shortly. He and his lovely wife Sylvia are going to be honored for their many years of service, and it is going to be done next month. Rabbi Orenstein is a distinguished scholar. He has a master's degree in Judaica and was ordained as rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America where he also received a doctorate of divinity. He has completed course work for a Ph.D. in linguistics at New York University. The rabbi has always inspired education and learning in his congregation and has held interesting meetings for the congregation over the years. He traveled to Russia on four separate occasions to meet and teach refuseniks. Also, during his career, he served as a chaplain at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and St. Alban's Naval Hospital, and he is now a chaplain for the New Jersey State police. I have a personal message for Rabbi Orenstein, and that is, as he contemplates retirement--I speak as one who knows; I tried retirement, and I did not like it.…”