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An Envelope From Texas
Jewish Press ^ | 1-9-04 | William E. Rapfogel

Posted on 01/08/2004 7:44:58 AM PST by SJackson

President George W. Bush puts his money where his mouth is. He has me convinced.

Erev Shabbos Chanukah I received an envelope from a Texas accountant. Having no business in Texas, I was immediately curious. Inside was a generous contribution to the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the organization I have run for the last decade, from George and Laura Bush.

Shocked would be a mild description of how I felt holding that check. Don`t get me wrong — Met Council receives generous contributions from scores of New Yorkers. And we`re grateful for each and every dollar we receive on behalf of needy Jews in New York. But this was a personal check from the president of the United States. I almost didn`t believe it.

To put this into some perspective, I have met President Bush several times since his election three years ago. During the last two years the president, Attorney General John Ashcroft and other Bush administration officials have singled out Met Council in their speeches as an example for community-based organizations to follow.

This began a year and a half ago. In a speech about welfare reform at a Milwaukee church, the president said, "The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty out of New York... [is] a group of people who want to help; they feed the hungry for their community. They feed the hungry regardless of somebody`s religion. They don`t ask, what is your religion; they ask, are you hungry."

I met with the president several days later and we chatted about his remarks, his strong support for Israel and our mutual interest in baseball and running. When I told him that I aspired to run better than a seven-minute-mile like he did, he put his hand on my shoulder and told me, "Don`t worry, just keep running."

A year ago, the White House asked me to speak at a conference in Philadelphia. I was glad to learn that the president would be there, but I was surprised to hear him again mention Met Council`s work in his remarks. After his speech, he was shaking hands and came over to ask me how he did in describing Met Council. I was touched that the president`s private moments matched his public words. I remember thinking, "This president is a real mentsch."

Jim Towey, the president`s assistant and director of his Office of Faith and Community Based Initiatives, has been a consistent friend, advocate and supporter of our work and has spoken of Met Council in news interviews. Other White House staffers have been equally supportive of our mission to combat Jewish poverty.

Merryl Tisch, the chair of my board, and her husband James, the chair of the Presidents` Conference, are friends of the First Family and have been important advocates for the Jewish community, and particularly the poor. In a few weeks, Met Council and UJA-Federation of New York will release a joint report showing a dramatic increase in Jewish poverty in New York. Indeed, while there is poverty in Jewish communities throughout America, most poor Jews live in our midst. The president`s contribution serves as a recognition of that need and his appreciation of our motto, Tzedakah U`gemilos Chasodim: Acts of Charity, Deeds of Kindness.

In our conversations, the president was moved by the sheer number of people served by our crisis intervention staff, the housing we created for the elderly, the home health care we provide to the frail, the job training and counseling, the kosher food programs and our extensive network of Jewish Community Councils around New York.

It is intriguing to imagine that the president of the United States places the issue of Jewish poverty on his radar screen, and backs his words up with his personal financial support. Certainly, few would have imagined that the president would donate to a Jewish charity from New York.

President Bush`s commitment to helping the needy qualifies him for the mantle of Joseph the Righteous, about whom we read in Parshas Vayigash. Joseph reunites with his brothers who sold him into slavery. He tells them not to fear his new role as viceroy of Egypt because he is rescuing the region from famine. Likewise, our president found himself in a unique role post-9/11 to lead the free world against terrorism. But he has not strayed from his domestic agenda of helping the less fortunate.

By noting the needs of poor Jews — with all that is on his plate — President Bush has endeared himself to our community and truly follows the lead of Joseph.

William E. Rapfogel is the chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, which runs social service programs for the needy and serves as the coordinating body for a network of Jewish Community Councils throughout New York City.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 01/08/2004 7:44:58 AM PST by SJackson
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
2 posted on 01/08/2004 7:45:26 AM PST by SJackson
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To: All
Rank Location Receipts Donors/Avg Freepers/Avg Monthlies
Kenya




20.00
1

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

3 posted on 01/08/2004 7:47:48 AM PST by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: SJackson
Poor Jews? How can this be when we all KNOW they run the world.
4 posted on 01/08/2004 7:50:44 AM PST by Valin (We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.)
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To: SJackson
Deeds speak volumes.
5 posted on 01/08/2004 7:52:38 AM PST by Pan_Yans Wife (Freedom is a package deal - with it comes responsibilities and consequences.)
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To: SJackson
Whoever said...........

"In an election year you just can't buy this kind of press........"

I think has been proven wrong.

6 posted on 01/08/2004 7:53:31 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: SJackson
A Texas mentsch? Oy! Well, at least the guy puts his money where his mouth is.
7 posted on 01/08/2004 7:53:33 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: SJackson
Our president is a truely good man. All the way, deep down to his soul, he is a good man.
8 posted on 01/08/2004 7:54:41 AM PST by McGavin999 (Don't be a Freeploader-Have you donated yet?)
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To: Billthedrill
Don't you mean the goy puts his money where his mouth is?
9 posted on 01/08/2004 7:56:12 AM PST by steve8714
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
Deeds speak volumes.

Yes. Remember the last occupant of the White House?

Hypocrisy is a liberal survival mechanism-- (Or, the true meaning of Bill Clinton's underwear)

10 posted on 01/08/2004 8:04:01 AM PST by SJackson
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To: WhiteGuy
Notice that unlike some other politicians, the Bush familiy simply wrote a check and mailed it in, instead of issuing a press release and holding a press conference.
11 posted on 01/08/2004 8:04:45 AM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: mvpel
Good point, the bush PR team is very subtle.
12 posted on 01/08/2004 8:06:47 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: McGavin999
I don't know why, but this testimonial has brought tears to my eyes. We are so, so fortunate to have this good and honest man as our leader. I've followed some of the recent controversy here at FR about the Immigration flap that POTUS has caused with true-blue conservatives.

But that's what politics is--a long, long series of compromises and weak human attempts to right some wrongs and to do more good than harm. That to me is what conservatives preach, the Law of Unintended Consequences--the fact that most government efforts to do good are at best, useless; at worst, quite harmful.

We can legitimately disagree that our POTUS is not the true-blue conservative (too compassionate) that we'd wish. But we should see that George W. is slowly carving a new path that will ultimately cement the Republican Party as the new majority party for a generation.

If that pragmatism (the hallmark of true politics) isn't pure enough for you then sit on your hands, let Pat Buchanan destroy the Party again, let Howard Dean win. For me, I'm quite happy with the general direction we're moving in. And I'm truly thankful for the quality of the man that leads our nation.

13 posted on 01/08/2004 8:11:05 AM PST by DJtex
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To: WhiteGuy; mvpel
Good point, the bush PR team is very subtle.

This isn't a high profile charity, the popular press wouldn't be likely to pick something like this up, and there appears to have been no contact other than the check from GWBs accountant. I don't think it's PR, GWB clearly gives personal thought, unrelated to political concerns, to his charitable contributions.

14 posted on 01/08/2004 8:14:13 AM PST by SJackson
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To: SJackson
GWB clearly gives personal thought, unrelated to political concerns, to his charitable contributions.

If you say so.

I'm not buying it, I'm too cynical for that.
15 posted on 01/08/2004 8:16:30 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: SJackson
Bump!
16 posted on 01/08/2004 8:28:44 AM PST by DallasMike
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To: DJtex
Me too. The immigration problem has been developing over the past two decades. In the last 10 years alone it has quadrupled. President Bush did not create the problem, he's trying to solve it with the least amount of damage possible. He could have easily ignored the problem and in a few years the 13 million illegals would have been 26 million but he wouldn't have to go through all this bashing.

It's like the Iraq situation. He just does the right thing no matter how hard it is on him.

17 posted on 01/08/2004 9:37:05 AM PST by McGavin999 (Don't be a Freeploader-Have you donated yet?)
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To: DJtex
Re your analysis of Bush vs. the "true blue conservatives," I have to agree with you. Very nicely put.

Carolyn

18 posted on 01/08/2004 9:41:19 AM PST by CDHart
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To: DJtex
Re your analysis of Bush vs. the "true blue conservatives," I have to agree with you. Very nicely put.

Carolyn

19 posted on 01/08/2004 9:41:44 AM PST by CDHart
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To: DJtex
I agree with you also. Trying to improve the situation is much better than sitting here complaining about things all the time when President Bush doesn't do what they think he should. He's President and I trust him to do the best he can for this country.




20 posted on 01/08/2004 11:15:00 AM PST by BushisTheMan
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