Below is a collection of sponsored tributes in memory of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, 89, who died on Jun. 3. To be included in this page, email tribute@jta.org.
Frank Lautenberg, the New Jersey senator who helped facilitate the emigration of thousands of Soviet Jews, died on June 3, 2013, at 89. (United States Senate)
The Jewish Federations of North America
The Jewish Federations of North America mourns the loss of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a former chair of United Jewish Appeal, a great friend and a leader of the Jewish People. Our hearts are filled with sorrow at his passing. We have lost a giant figure who changed the course of Jewish history and dedicated his life to serving the Jewish People and the United States of America. Sen. Lautenberg was a strong backer of the Jewish Federation system’s domestic agenda, including many critical issues from aging to health care. His efforts to help lead the exodus of Soviet Jewry through the Lautenberg Amendment will live on as a powerful legacy of his remarkable impact. May Sen. Lautenberg’s memory be for a blessing.
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ Mourns the Passing of Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
A champion for the people of Greater MetroWest, the State of New Jersey, the Jewish community, and the State of Israel, Senator Lautenberg will long be remembered as a successful businessman, philanthropist, and legislator whose good works over many decades significantly improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
According to Max Kleinman, Executive Vice President/CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, “As UJA Chair for MetroWest and then National UJA Chair during the Yom Kippur War, Israel’s most perilous time, he helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars to help Jewish communities and Israel. He helped to build our Jewish Federation campus in Whippany where the Lautenberg facility still stands. Through the Lautenberg Amendment, he ensured that hundreds of thousands of FSU Jews and others encountering religious persecution could arrive on our shores as refugees. He did more than anyone else in the Senate to improve transportation, including banning smoking on airplanes. His indomitable spirit, philanthropy, and leadership will be sorely missed.”
“Today we mourn the loss of Senator Frank Lautenberg. A true friend and supporter of the Jewish people and our beloved State of Israel, the Senator significantly impacted the lives of so many. We’ve lost an icon in our world. May we continue to pursue the mission of securing the future and security of the Jewish people and may his memory be a blessing to his family and our community,” said Lori Klinghoffer, President, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
Frank Lautenberg was one of the Jewish community’s best friends. He was a highly-respected figure in the state, serving New Jersey from the time he was first elected to the Senate in 1982 to the present. Senator Lautenberg was a tireless fighter for what he believed in. He never stopped working on legislation important to the country. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the legislation he wrote, which carries his name, which allowed tens of thousands of Jews and other religious minorities to immigrate to the United States from the former Soviet Union. These men and women owe their freedom to Senator Lautenberg.
Recently, Senator Lautenberg became a well-loved figure at Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Super Sundays. Always entertaining the volunteers, always making phone calls to supporters himself, he was a pro at getting people to say yes! In January 2012, at a Federation press conference held after the fire-bombing at Congregation Beth-El in Rutherford, Senator Lautenberg spoke passionately about the need to increase awareness and for all Americans to do their part to stay vigilant at all times.
Announcing that he would not seek reelection in 2014, Senator Lautenberg said “…I will be continuing on my mission to do the right thing wherever I can.” We know, had he gone on to retirement, he would have done just that.
May Sen. Lautenberg’s wife Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, his six children and 13 grandchildren be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
David J. Goodman
President
Jason M. Shames
Chief Executive Officer
Genesis Philanthropy Group
Senator Lautenberg used to say his parents did not have valuables to pass on to him, but instead left him a “legacy of values.” Genesis Philanthropy Group is deeply moved and humbled that Senator Lautenberg shared that legacy with us in life. We will strive to honor his memory by embracing ever more strongly a vision of a world where young Russian Jews and Jews everywhere feel a sense of confidence, a sense of pride about their rich heritage. May Senator Lautenberg’s legacy enlighten the paths of our community, enabling us to walk, in small ways or large, each in his or her own way, in the footsteps of this great man for many generations to come.
National Council of Jewish Women | NCJW
NCJW Mourns Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Champion for Social Justice
The National Council of Jewish Women mourns the death of New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, who championed human rights in the US and across the world. He led efforts to safeguard every woman’s right to make her own faith-informed decisions about abortion both here in the US and abroad, supporting equity in abortion coverage for our nation’s servicewomen. He was a consistent champion of investing in Title X, our nation’s public family planning program, and authored comprehensive sex education bills and legislation to guarantee that women will not be denied access to prescription birth control, no matter what their pharmacist may personally believe about contraception. Senator Lautenberg was a courageous and unwavering ally of NCJW and of all who work to make the world a better place.
National Jewish Democratic Council | NJDC
The entire National Jewish Democratic Council family extends its deepest condolences to Senator Frank Lautenberg’s family, friends, and the people of New Jersey. The late Senator leaves behind a distinguished record of public and Jewish communal service that distinguishes him as a giant among American Jewish political leaders. He was a staunch defender of progressive ideals and a stalwart advocate for the State of Israel and the American Jewish community. Lautenberg was a true friend to NJDC and we will forever miss his wisdom and insight.
Marc R. Stanley
Chair
