I will start my remarks this morning by thanking many people who brought me here; by acknowledging those who have worked tirelessly to support me in my efforts these past four years; and by reassuring all that while my last day here, today is marked by some sadness, the values, the ideals, and the work we believe in – those endure and will forever guide our future, both my own fortune and our shared destiny.
I’ll start by thanking my husband, Alan for his love and support; my daughter, Scarlett for her beautiful heart and inspiration; and my son, Wally, who has taught me more about courage and unconditional love than anyone else in the world. He is my hero. To my many friends who have stood by me in good times and at difficult moments, for your unwavering support and numerous acts of kindness. I especially want to thank my mentor and friend, the late Marilyn Praisner for her belief in me and my colleague, Ike Leggett for his trust and his friendship. To my wonderful staff, past and present (Alan, Naomi, Laurie, Emily, Wil, Pat, Dana, Richard, Paul, William, Bobbie and Jackie) for their loyalty and dedication. You made every day at the Council possible. To all those county staffers gathered here this morning for your extraordinary efforts and hard work each and every day. And I express gratitude to the residents of Montgomery County for the privilege and honor I have had in representing you.
I came to the Council having labored as a community activist, wanting to create empowerment, to offer hope and opportunity, and to reaffirm how the human spirit triumphs, always with a little help from friends and sometimes with the support of government. That has always been a core belief of mine and it will forever define my life’s work. It is no secret that these past few months have provided a temporary detour but this morning I assure you I am by no means at the end of any political road.
I believe in the power of community and compassion. I do believe this because I have in my life experiences witnessed the value of speaking the truth, becoming an advocate and taking on the most intractable challenges - those causes few embrace, many run from and often times that deplete one’s spirit and faith in humanity. This applies to the tragedy of mental illness and addiction, the misery of poverty and domestic violence, and even the risk of exercising leadership in public service.
When I came to the Council, I did not come to win a popularity contest but rather to change and improve lives. And I say with pride and joy that I believe I did do just that. Every time I walk into a county eating establishment, I chuckle at the sight of the county trans-fat ban notice, that being the first legislative action I successfully took. I hear from my allies in the LGBT community often about advocacy efforts across the country, and I am reminded of the equal protection we provided to transgender individuals here in the county, something we must never take for granted even in government service. I am surrounded daily by the vibrant and changing White Flint community, recognizing I played a small part in its re-development and ensuring adequate coordination as it evolves over future decades. When I visit my son at his new residential program here in the county, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment knowing I’ve been an effective and consistent voice for those who often are silent and without representation in policy decisions. This morning I will state for the record that my voice will remain loud and steadfast in this regard, no matter where my life’s work takes me. Of course, I will forever find joy in the tremendous cooperation and collaboration that went into the creation of the Montgomery County Family Justice Center, the county’s premier clearinghouse facility for domestic violence victims, that in its 18 months of operation has served over 2000 families from over 100 countries. And I remain resolute and without regret that the conversation that I started as the Management & Fiscal Policy Chair back in 2008 on the growing county obligations in relation to compensation and benefits was the right one - how quickly it has become politically correct and how appropriate it remain front and center as our County Executive and the next Council grapple with yet another large deficit and unsustainable obligations.
I learned a long time ago from mentors and friends, that political success is not measured by election results but rather by meaningful reform and your willingness to use your political power to achieve that end, despite electoral consequences or heartbreak.
Long after today’s elected officials are out of office, the debates that seemed so contentious and sometimes even personal will fade in memory. What will endure are the values we exemplified in the political priorities we set. That is the true legacy we pass on to our children and grandchildren.
Our future as a county belongs to those who can blend compassion, common sense and courage into a genuine commitment to the values we hold most dear.
I am reminded of the compelling words of one of my childhood hero’s, Robert F. Kennedy - a man who understood the wisdom in looking beyond the shadows, who dared to think beyond our accepted practices, who believed in testing his fortitude and taking on the odds:
“Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change."
Awards/Recognitions/Certificates (2006-2010)
CARON Treatment Centers, Community Service Award, October 2010
Maryland NARAL, Advocacy Recognition, October 2010
Montgomery County Family Justice Center Foundation, Marilyn J. Praisner Founder’s Award, October 2010
MCPS/Safe & Drug Free Schools, Certificate of Appreciation, June 2010
Our Bodies Ourselves, Women’s Health Hero, June 2010
Montgomery County Business & Professional Women, Certificate of Appreciation, November 2009
Montgomery County Inter ACC/DD and SEEC, Community Builder Award, October 2009
Aviva Hadassah Group, Social Action Recognition, September 2009
Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Program for Executives in State & Local Government, July 2009
National Center for Children and Families, Spirit Award for Humanitarian Advocate, June 2009
GROWS, Certificate of Appreciation, June 2009
Equality Maryland, Ally for Equality Award, June 2008
Centro Familia, Advocacy Award, March 2008
American Public Health Association, ACHP SPIG, Leadership Award, November 2007
Congressional Citation, US Rep Chris Van Hollen, Mental Health Advocacy, October 2007
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Hero Award, October 2007
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Don't break promise to the Academy - Washington Jewish Week - November 18, 2010
by Duchy Trachtenberg
Special to WJW
Does the Jewish tradition of community service have an expiration date?--
Is the sense of obligation we feel to the Jewish people, and to future generations, something elastic that can be stretched, bent or turned into something totally different because of outside events?
And further, when is it appropriate for a political body to insert itself into a community decision and interfere with a contractual obligation?--
These seem to be the central questions at the heart of the debate over the sale of a disused county property to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. As a Jew, and as a departing member of the Montgomery County Council, I have some relevant insight and experience regarding this highly charged controversy.
But first, a little history. The former Peary High School in Aspen Hill was an abandoned eyesore in the middle of a vibrant, family-friendly community. Vandals, gangs and drug users had free reign.--
But in 1994 the Board of Education deeded it to the county, and the Berman Academy was the only party to respond to a request for proposals to lease the building, with an option to buy. A 25-year lease, and a purchase price, based on the average of three independent appraisals, were executed and signed by all parties.
At the time of the consumated deal, the property had zero value. The school spent more than $9 million on renovations, based on the expectation that it could purchase the building as a permanent home for the Academy, which began as the first Jewish day school in the Washington area, founded in 1944.--------
Flash forward to 2010. Today, the Aspen Hill community is revitalized and on the move. Neighborhood property values, which had been steadily decreasing, began to stabilize and increase when the Berman Academy opened its doors.--
The school has taken its obligation under the lease agreement to open its facilities to the public as a solemn and welcome responsibility. The school is used for meetings of the Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, family events and a wide range of cultural activities, and the Berman Academy maintains an excellent gym and track that are used regularly by members of the community, at no cost to the county.
In short, the Berman Academy is a proud example of the talmudic teaching that in order to be a suitable place to live, a community must provide for all its spiritual and communal needs.--
This goes to the heart of the tradition of tzedakah, Jewish charity. And, this is why the Berman Academy should be allowed to secure its future in Aspen Hill by buying its own home.
However, it seems that there are some people who, for whatever reasons, wish to stymie progress and renege on this longstanding, agreed-upon contract. Whether or not these last-minute objections are policital in nature, they nonetheless have the effect of appearing as though our Jewish community's expression of our legal and societal rights are being violated.
Both the absolute will of the Aspen Hill community and the county's contractual obligation to complete the sale are in danger of being brushed aside.
Long after today's elected officials are out of office, the debates that seemed so contentious at the time will fade in memory. What will endure are the values, traditions and knowledge that we share and pass on to our children and grandchildren.
The Berman Academy has earned a permanent place in our community. The energy pulsing out of each classroom and down every corridor is contagious and creative. They've earned a place in our community, and they deserve our support.--
"[E]very individual is duty bound to join forces with his community in thought, in word and in deed and loyally to share in its tasks and obligations, so long as that community proves to be a faithful guardian and supporter of the Torah" -- Rav Hirsh, Pirkei Avot 2:4
The Melvin J. Berman Academy each and every day certainly infuses life into these resonating words. It's time for Montgomery County to do the same.
Duchy Trachtenberg is an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council.
Special to WJW
Does the Jewish tradition of community service have an expiration date?--
Is the sense of obligation we feel to the Jewish people, and to future generations, something elastic that can be stretched, bent or turned into something totally different because of outside events?
And further, when is it appropriate for a political body to insert itself into a community decision and interfere with a contractual obligation?--
These seem to be the central questions at the heart of the debate over the sale of a disused county property to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. As a Jew, and as a departing member of the Montgomery County Council, I have some relevant insight and experience regarding this highly charged controversy.
But first, a little history. The former Peary High School in Aspen Hill was an abandoned eyesore in the middle of a vibrant, family-friendly community. Vandals, gangs and drug users had free reign.--
But in 1994 the Board of Education deeded it to the county, and the Berman Academy was the only party to respond to a request for proposals to lease the building, with an option to buy. A 25-year lease, and a purchase price, based on the average of three independent appraisals, were executed and signed by all parties.
At the time of the consumated deal, the property had zero value. The school spent more than $9 million on renovations, based on the expectation that it could purchase the building as a permanent home for the Academy, which began as the first Jewish day school in the Washington area, founded in 1944.--------
Flash forward to 2010. Today, the Aspen Hill community is revitalized and on the move. Neighborhood property values, which had been steadily decreasing, began to stabilize and increase when the Berman Academy opened its doors.--
The school has taken its obligation under the lease agreement to open its facilities to the public as a solemn and welcome responsibility. The school is used for meetings of the Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, family events and a wide range of cultural activities, and the Berman Academy maintains an excellent gym and track that are used regularly by members of the community, at no cost to the county.
In short, the Berman Academy is a proud example of the talmudic teaching that in order to be a suitable place to live, a community must provide for all its spiritual and communal needs.--
This goes to the heart of the tradition of tzedakah, Jewish charity. And, this is why the Berman Academy should be allowed to secure its future in Aspen Hill by buying its own home.
However, it seems that there are some people who, for whatever reasons, wish to stymie progress and renege on this longstanding, agreed-upon contract. Whether or not these last-minute objections are policital in nature, they nonetheless have the effect of appearing as though our Jewish community's expression of our legal and societal rights are being violated.
Both the absolute will of the Aspen Hill community and the county's contractual obligation to complete the sale are in danger of being brushed aside.
Long after today's elected officials are out of office, the debates that seemed so contentious at the time will fade in memory. What will endure are the values, traditions and knowledge that we share and pass on to our children and grandchildren.
The Berman Academy has earned a permanent place in our community. The energy pulsing out of each classroom and down every corridor is contagious and creative. They've earned a place in our community, and they deserve our support.--
"[E]very individual is duty bound to join forces with his community in thought, in word and in deed and loyally to share in its tasks and obligations, so long as that community proves to be a faithful guardian and supporter of the Torah" -- Rav Hirsh, Pirkei Avot 2:4
The Melvin J. Berman Academy each and every day certainly infuses life into these resonating words. It's time for Montgomery County to do the same.
Duchy Trachtenberg is an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council.
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