[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 16975] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE 150-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE TEMPLE HESED SYNAGOGUE IN SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA ______ HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI of pennsylvania in the house of representatives Tuesday, September 28, 2010 Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 150th anniversary of Temple Hesed, the oldest synagogue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Temple Hesed's roots were founded during the mid-19th Century when small groups of worshipers would travel back and forth between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to attend High Holy Day Services. The group, made up mostly of German immigrants, was originally known in the 1840s as ``Chevra Rodef Shalom,'' meaning, ``Brotherhood of the Pursuer of Peace.'' On August 20, 1860, the group was renamed ``Kehilat Anshe Chesed,'' meaning the ``Congregation of the People of Loving-Kindness.'' By 1862, its membership had increased to 27 and was granted a charter. The congregation's first synagogue was located in the 100 block of Linden Street in Scranton. They purchased the land in 1867 from the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, and worshiped in the original synagogue through 1902. During this time, the congregation joined the American Reform Movement, an organization founded by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who was present to dedicate the original synagogue in Scranton in April of 1867. In 1902, the congregation moved from its original synagogue to a new building on Madison Avenue in Scranton. Over the next few decades, the synagogue was renovated and expanded to accommodate the group's growing membership, and in the 1960s its name was changed to ``The Madison Avenue Temple.'' The congregation moved into its current synagogue off of Lake Scranton Road in 1974, and its name was changed one last time to ``Temple Hesed,'' meaning the ``Temple of Loving Kindness,'' and reflecting the congregation's 19th Century roots. Currently, Temple Hesed remains a member of the American Reform Movement, today known as the Union of Reform Judaism, which now has over 900 member congregations throughout the country. The synagogue promotes a ``welcoming'' environment, and offers traditional worship services along with youth and adult education opportunities to its congregation, which now includes about 180 member families of all lifestyles and backgrounds. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this remarkable anniversary. Over the past 150 years, Temple Hesed has evolved from a small group of worshipers to a prominent Jewish community in Northeastern Pennsylvania. ____________________