Congregation Beit Shalom 115 E. Paseo Av. Visalia, California, 93291 559 308-1333
May 1, 2012 Mr. Ted Gover Foundation For California 6475 E. Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach CA, 90803 Dear Mr. Gover & The Foundation for California, During the month of January 2012, Congregation Beit Shalom was honored to receive the photographic display, “The Courage To Remember”. The local newspaper, the Times Delta, picked up the story of this special event and showing, and gave us continuing news coverage in several newspapers. We also received a large color spread in the magazine, “Lifestyles”. The educational and emotional impact was significant. It is through educational outreach and moral guidance provided to small agricultural communities like ours, that anti-Semitism can be stopped and/or prevented. Congregation Beit Shalom commends, “Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais”, SNCF, and chairman, Guillaume Pepy of Paris, France, for beginning the process of moral responsibility and repair by apologizing for the use of nationally owned French railroads for the purpose of transporting Jews and other Holocaust victims from France to Nazi death camps. On behalf of Congregation Beit Shalom I want to thank SNCF for providing the tools for Congregation Beit Shalom to reach across old, hardened boundaries to begin the process of developing relationships and building trust between religious communities and nations. Sincerely, Cynthia Fischer, Para-Rabbinic
Rabbi Larry Friedman