AJC honors Gen. Rees and Oregon National Guard

By Amy Kaufman

article created on:

The American Jewish Committee, celebrating its centennial year, presented the 2007 Human Relations Award to Major General Raymond F. Rees and the men and women of the Oregon National Guard at a dinner attended by 180 on March 6.

Before the event, Rees explained his decision to serve a third term as leader of the Oregon National Guard.

"Governor (Ted) Kulongoski asked me," he said. "I had the pleasure of working with him as attorney general and seeing him rise to the justice of the Supreme Court. He asked me to come back because of his vision of what he wanted the National Guard to do."

Kulongoski praised Rees for his compassion as well as his expertise during "the most difficult time since World War II."

"I have watched him send these young men and women off to war," said the governor, "and he's been there to meet them when they come home. I've seen how much he cares for these soldiers and their families."

Kulongoski said "less than one-half of one percent of the population in America" has been involved in the Iraq war. "Having attended over 81 funerals, one of the things I think is missing is ? the sense of shared sacrifice of us all. Our military has done their duty. It is time to do our duty and ask our leaders to explain what is America's interest in Iraq in March 2006."

Kulongoski said he wanted to "connect the dots" between the Iraq war and America's reliance on foreign energy sources.

Citing Oregon's recent measures to promote energy independence, Kulongoski said if such efforts fail, "then if it's Iraq today, I truly believe it will be Syria or Jordan or somewhere else tomorrow."

Brig. General (ret.) Fred Rosenbaum, vice president of the AJC Oregon chapter, who co-chaired the event with Dan Wieden of Wieden+Kennedy, stated frankly that Rees narrowly missed being appointed chief of the National Guard because "someone high up in the Department of Defense found someone who had never been an adjutant general, and he was appointed chief."

As a result, he said, Oregon is the beneficiary of "a four-star general in a two-star assignment."

Rees said, "The real energizer for me is the opportunity to serve with people who care, from our governor to the newly enlisted private ? going to work knowing there are 8,500 souls who want good leadership and who provide good leadership to the citizens of Oregon."

Emily Georges Gottfried, executive director of the AJC Oregon Chapter, highlighted AJC's accomplishments since 1906, when it was created to aid victims of Russian pogroms. The dinner raised about $50,000 to support AJC's programs to combat discrimination, work for the security of Israel and promote human and civil rights.

AJC's annual Interfaith community Passover seder will be held March 20 at Congregation Neveh Shalom.