The Annual Congressional Tribute event marking May as Jewish American Heritage Month took place on Wednesday, May 15, in the US Senate, and featured an impressive roster of US Senators and House members, government officials, diplomats and national Jewish leaders.
This year an impressive array of House and Senate members addressed the participants in the majestic Kennedy Caucus Room including Senators Richard Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown, Doug Jones, Tim Kaine, Robert Menendez, Jacky Rosen, Jeanne Shaheen, Representatives Joseph Kennedy, Carolyn Maloney, Brad Schneider, Tom Suozzi, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Members of Congress were introduced by the Tribute chairman Greg Rosenbaum, a driving force behind Jewish American Heritage Month. Hon. David F. Eisner, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of the Treasury represented and read the proclamation by President Trump issues in honor Jewish American Heritage Month.
Remarks were also delivered by HE Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America who spoke about the importance of tolerance praising Harley Lippman for his leadership. Many countries were represented including Poland, Hungary, Cameroon, Kurdistan etc.
Speakers recognized Harley Lippman as a microcosm of American Jewish achievement with an array of charitable and humanitarian contributions benefiting millions of people across the United States and the world. As the founder and CEO of Genesis 10, a high-tech staffing and solutions company with over 2,000 employees and offices throughout the country one would think he devotes all his time and energy to his successful business.
But Harley Lippman is in business so that he can give back to the world at large. He uses his resources, his innovative style and his creative energy to make the world a better place. And he is involved in many social justice and charitable causes that improve the lives of not just his fellow Jews in America, but people of all faiths all over the world. Mr. Lippman is the sole financial supporter of an orphanage in Cambodia and has been for the past seventeen years.
As President of ISGAP, (Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy), an organization founded by Eli Wiesel that combats anti-Semitism through education, Harley Lippman plays a decisive role in fighting antisemitism.
Behind the scenes, Harley is personally involved in working to help build an alliance with our allies against our common enemy, Iran. Just recently, he has met with the royal family in Saudi Arabia and President Sisi of Egypt and he has twice met with the Pope as well playing an indispensable role in the passing of the Taylor Force Act.
Harley’s opinion is sought after by both liberal and conservative media outlets. He’s appeared on MSNBC, on Fox News, and on Bloomberg News, and pens a monthly column in Forbes magazine. He has spoken on economic trends, foreign policy evens, technology, and the American IT work force.
As a member of the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, who was appointed by both Democratic and Republican Administrations, Harley Lippman is committed to restoring desecrated cemeteries in Eastern Europe and has undertaken the challenge of finding mass graves which erects memorial plaques so that in their death these victims receive the honor and dignity they deserve.
The annual celebration first began in 1980 as a week in April dedicated to American Jewry, and in 2006 President Bush, at the request of Congress, dedicated the month of May to American Jewry. “Jewish Heritage Month affords us an opportunity to pause and to reflect on the important contributions to our great nation by prominent Jews, and simultaneously it beckons us to acknowledge the gratitude that our governments has dedicated an entire month to celebrate our accomplishments” said Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group, whose firm is coordinating the Capitol Hill celebration.
May has been proclaimed by President Obama and United States Congress, Jewish American Heritage Month. Despite years of oppression and persecution, Jews have always risen up to help bring improvement and progress to society.