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WHEREAS, Abe Salem, a resident of the City of Pittsburgh for over 50 years, was born in Poland in 1920, and survived the Holocaust as a prisoner in a work camp in Siberia for nearly two years; and
WHEREAS, Abe Salem, after living through unspeakable horrors in Europe, including losing his entire family, married his wife, Mina, immigrated to this country, raised two children and became a useful and productive window glazer for the first part of his working life; and
WHEREAS, at the young age of 69, Abe Salem began the next chapter of his career at Congregation Beth Shalom, the oldest and largest Conservative synagogue in Western Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, for the past seventeen years, Abe Salem has led the Congregation's twice daily prayer services as Minyan Leader and;
WHEREAS, Abe Salem is fluent in the difficult art of Torah Chanting and is the Congregation's resident Torah Reader; and
WHEREAS, Abe Salem, a longstanding spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom, is a cherished and productive member of the synagogue and the larger community, and by his presence, a constant reminder of the resilience and productivity of the human spirit; and
WHEREAS, Abe Salem will be honored by his Congregation at a gala dinner on April 30, 2006, as a token of the synagogue's love and esteem for him.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh salutes Abe Salem, a man who has been an eyewitness to the worst horrors of history, yet manages to convey a sense of humor and joy in the human condition; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh declares April 30, 2006, "Abe Salem Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.