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In a special reception in Albany Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Chairman of the celebrations said that it was a personal honor and privilege for him to be the chairman of the celebrations in honor of the Rebbe. Speaker Silver said with pride that he saw first hand the scope of the Rebbe's activities in his travels overseas. "Where ever I traveled I saw the Rebbe's emissaries in action" said the Speaker.
Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman, Director Lubavitch Youth Organization offered words of welcome and thanked Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the members of the New York State Legislature for their kind efforts. In talking about the Speaker Rabbi Butman said that "the true quality of a friend is that you can always depend upon him"
Rabbi Butman noted that when the Rebbe speaks about education he talks about the education of all children regardless of race, religion, color or creed. The Rebbe emphasized that the children should be taught that "The world is not a jungle" and that there is "An eye that sees and an ear that hears."
Rabbi Butman also stressed what the Rebbe said that we live in the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption and we can bring the Redemption even closer through more deeds of goodness and kindness.
Rabbi Yisroel Rubin, the Shliach (emissary) of the Rebbe in Albany and vicinity, overseeing many Chabad Houses, spoke about the scope of the Rebbe's activities to reach the entire spectrum of the Community in all parts of the world.
Before Rabbi Butman opened the United States Senate in Washington in the year 1991, the Rebbe told him "Take a Pushka (charity box) with you and let everyone see what you are doing and let them know on what money should be spent." In accordance to this directive, Rabbi Butman brought a Pushka with him to Albany. During his prayers he offered a dollar bill in the Pushka. It was most interesting to see how members of both houses of the New York State Legislature lined up after the prayer to offer their own dollar in the Charity box as an act of goodness and kindness.
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