Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
03/09/2018 10:30 AM Senate EDUCATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SCR15 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SCR 15 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 9, 2018
10:29 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Tom Begich
Senator Shelley Hughes
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator John Coghill
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15
Proclaiming March 27, 2018, as Alaska Education and Sharing Day.
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SCR 15
SHORT TITLE: MARCH 27, 2018:AK EDUCATION & SHARING DAY
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) HUGHES
02/02/18 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/02/18 (S) EDC
03/09/18 (S) EDC AT 10:30 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
AIMEE BUSHNELL, Staff
Senator Shelley Hughes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SCR 15 on behalf of the sponsor.
ROSEMARY LEBOWITZ, Representing Self
Hoonah, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SCR 15.
RABBI MENACHAM MENDY GREENBERG
Mat-Su Jewish Campus
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SCR 15.
RABBI YOSEF GREENBERG
Alaska Jewish Campus
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SCR 15.
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:29:37 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 10:29 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Giessel, Hughes, Begich, and Chair Stevens.
SCR 15-MARCH 27, 2018:AK EDUCATION & SHARING DAY
SCR15
10:30:00 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of SCR 15 and his
intent to hold and hear the resolution.
10:30:27 AM
SENATOR HUGHES, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SCR 15,
said this resolution focuses recognition on the importance of
values, character development, and ethics as part of a student's
education in order to become engaged, caring, responsible
citizens. Since 1978, every president has proclaimed Education
and Sharing Day to honor the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson, who dedicated his life to fostering the importance
of character development, compassion, and service. Every
president has declared this at the national level. They
recognize the importance of having these discussions and for
communities and families to be aware of it.
10:33:24 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said Rebbe Menachem did the first menorah
community lighting in Philadelphia. She shared that she had
joined Rabbi Mendy Greenberg, who leads the Jewish community in
her area, in Palmer for a community menorah lighting. Rebbe
Menachem rescued many Jewish youth from Iran during the Iranian
hostage situation in 1979. He lived from 1902 until 1994. He was
born in Russia, now Ukraine. He came to New York in 1941. He was
considered by many to be a genius. He spoke six languages. He
had a love for America, but reached out around the world. In
light of International Women's Day yesterday, she noted that he
included young women in the education of the Torah.
10:34:57 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said the resolution is not telling schools to
teach a certain set of morals or values, but to encourage
families, communities, and leaders of places of worship to have
discussions about those ideas with youth in the state.
10:35:27 AM
AIMEE BUSHNELL, Staff, Senator Shelley Hughes, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SCR 15 on behalf of the sponsor. She said
they are pleased to see many letters supporting the resolution.
10:36:14 AM
CHAIR STEVENS said this is the right committee for issues like
this. One of the reasons for public education is to develop
citizens. He asked what does "rebbe" mean.
10:36:47 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she is not an expert in the Chabad Lubavitch
faith, but she knows it is a post that only one person holds in
the world. Rebbe Menachem assumed the post in 1950 when the
prior rebbe passed away.
10:37:24 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked for an explanation of the Seven Noahide
Laws referred to in the resolution.
10:37:47 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said they came before the ten commandments. They
are considered the basis of fundamental human rights.
10:38:25 AM
CHAIR STEVENS said he appreciates the information and history.
He asked how many presidents had proclaimed Education and
Sharing Day.
10:38:54 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said every president in every year since 1978,
which now makes 40 years.
10:40:08 AM
ROSEMARY LEBOWITZ, Representing Self, supported SCR 15. She said
these values are important for children. Hearing of veterans who
come back with trauma and commit suicide makes her think that
these types of values are more important than many educators
realize. Academic training seems to be the most important thing
in college, but values and character building are highly
significant. Alaska has a higher rate of suicide than other
states. In Alaska students need a moral compass.
10:42:27 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked how many years she has taught.
10:42:31 AM
MS. LEBOWITZ said she is still teaching. It never stops.
CHAIR STEVENS said academics are important, but teaching ethics
is also important.
10:43:17 AM
MS. LEBOWITZ said Rabbi Mendy is a good friend of theirs. She
recounted that about 20 years ago, she was in New York City,
which was a rare occurrence. That week the New York Times had a
Sunday supplement on Rebbe Meerschem, which was the first time
she had heard of him. She noted that Rabbi Mendy had a personal
encounter with the Rebbe in his childhood.
10:45:30 AM
RABBI MENACHAM MENDY GREENBERG, Mat-Su Jewish Campus, Wasilla,
Alaska, supported SCR 15. He said so much emphasis is placed on
preparing kids to be successful in their material and physical
lives. For many reasons, very little emphasis is placed on
character building and moral, spiritual, and ethical awareness.
Today all agree that to strengthen education from the beginning,
a child should know that being good, kind, and honest people is
the most important thing. If the main focus is to be successful
in careers, everything might be okay to become successful,
including cheating and lying. It is important to bring this
message to parents and educators. When people pass away, the
most important part of the eulogy is not whether they were
successful business people, but whether they were good people.
So much attention is spent on successful careers and not eulogy
values, what really counts, what really matters.
10:48:48 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked him to explain the term rebbe.
10:49:16 AM
RABBI MENDY GREENBERG said the general term rebbe means rabbi,
teacher. Every rabbi is a rebbe, but then there is the Rebbe.
The Rebbe represents a great spiritual leader, represents the
leader of the Chabad movement and in a more general way, a
spiritual leader of all humankind. President Jimmy Carter and
the Congress felt it was important to recognize his birthday as
a date for all of the citizens of the United States. His impact
and his message resonate with all people. He is a global
personality, beyond the Hasidic Jewish group. He connects with
everyone. Twenty-two years after his passing, his message still
has impact. After the Parkland, Florida, attack, a
representative of the rebbe spoke to the governor of Florida
about schools starting the day with a moment of silence to think
about the morals and values that their parents would help them
come up with. Statistics show that a moment of silence helps
calm children and has a positive effect on academic studies. The
Rebbe is a global leader who touches the hearts of all citizens.
10:52:47 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked him to explain the Seven Noahide Laws.
MR. M. GREENBERG said in their tradition, the Seven Noahide Laws
are universal laws given to Adam and Eve and to Noah after the
great flood. They are the bedrock of any civilization. The laws
of people are only as strong as the people are. People change
laws as they see fit, which is good, but there must be something
beyond and above people. For example, it is immoral to kill, but
sometimes people's minds play with them and tell them it is
sometimes moral to do something terrible. During the Holocaust,
it made sense to scientists, professors, doctors, an entire
progressive country, that millions should be killed. When thou
shalt not murder is only a human idea, it is only as strong as
the people decide to be. When it comes from a supreme being,
then it is never acceptable.
10:55:48 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked him to share his personal engagement with
the Rebbe through the Sunday dollar program, as a historical
tidbit.
10:56:47 AM
MR. M. GREENBERG said that the Rebbe advocated charity and the
idea that every child should be a giver. A charity box should be
everywhere. The nature of giving is to be always doing good for
others. When he was about 84 years old in 1986, he would stand
on the street for hours distributing dollar bills to whomever
came. The message of the dollar was to make people an emissary
of his with the message that when two people meet, they should
do good for a third. Everyone could have a short talk with him
and ask for a blessing. When Rabbi Greenberg was one in 1991,
his parents took him to the Rebbe to get the dollar before
moving to Alaska. The Rebbe knew the family was going to Alaska.
He gave him a second dollar to take to Alaska to give away. He
saw potential in every person, even a child.
10:59:58 AM
RABBI YOSEF GREENBERG, Alaska Jewish Campus, supported SCR 15.
He said about 35 years ago the governor then also proclaimed
Education and Sharing Day. It is probably going to be a great
blessing for the state to have this inspiration. The Rebbe has
inspired thousands of rabbis to relocate. Rabbi Greenberg came
to Alaska from New York with his wife 27 years ago because of
the inspiration of Rebbe Menachem. The Rebbe inspired his son to
return to Alaska and start the Jewish center in the Mat-Su
Valley. If there are 7 billion people in world, that means that
God thinks the world needs 7 billion candles. Taking out one
candle darkens the entire world. The message of Education and
Sharing Day is that each child has a path and mission and
contribution. People cannot give up on one child, not one child
can be left behind. Building the character of children is more
important than being successful in a career. Statistics shows
that children who come from good, happy homes and have a mission
and direction are more successful. Then the taxpayer pays less
to take care of people who need help. Happy children become
contributors to society.
11:03:01 AM
MR. Y. GREENBERG said families with no direction become burdens
on society It is much better to educate children to have that
foundation in their system. He looks forward to being in Juneau
March 21 to listen and receive the proclamation.
SENATOR HUGHES said March 27 is the date of the proclamation,
but both rabbis are traveling to Juneau earlier because they
won't be traveling during the Jewish holidays.
11:04:19 AM
MR. Y. GREENBERG said Rabbi Mendy will be doing the invocation
the week before Education and Sharing Day, on Wednesday, March
21, 2018.
11:05:00 AM
MS. BUSHNELL said, to answer a previous question, seven
presidents have proclaimed Education and Sharing Day: Jimmy
Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W.
Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
11:05:27 AM
CHAIR STEVENS held SCR 15 in committee. He said he ordered a
fiscal note and the expectation is that it will be zero.
11:05:57 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Stevens adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
at 11:05 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SCR 15 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 3/9/2018 10:30:00 AM |
SCR 15 |
| SCR 15 Ver. A.PDF |
SEDC 3/9/2018 10:30:00 AM |
SCR 15 |
| SCR 15 Support Letters_Batch01_08March2018.pdf |
SEDC 3/9/2018 10:30:00 AM |
SCR 15 |