Senate President Steve Sweeney has received an honorary “Doctor of Laws” Degree from the Rabbinical College of America. This award was presented last night at the College’s National Founders’ Dinner, which was held at the Meadowlands Hilton in East Rutherford.
“I’m humbled not just to be here but also for receiving this degree, which, if you know my story, is truly remarkable,” Sweeney said. “Majority Leader Weinberg has referred to the work the College does as ‘the welcoming family that each of us can go home to.’ That is a wonderful distinction that you should all be proud of.”
The Senate President also praised the College for its work on helping seniors and children with special needs through such programs as Smile on Seniors and Friendship Circle.
The Rabbinical College of America is an internationally known institution of higher education, attracting students from throughout the United States and as far away as South Africa and Australia. The College has broadened its activities to include extensive communal outreach services with 40 regional Chabad-Lubavitch Centers throughout New Jersey. The College’s graduates serve as community and spiritual leaders at Chabad centers throughout the world, of which there are now 4,000.
Senate President Steve Sweeney represents the Third Legislative District, which includes portions of Gloucester and Cumberland counties and all of Salem County. First elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2001, Senator Sweeney has been reelected four times. He was chosen by the Democratic Majority to lead the Senate in the 214th Legislature in 2009, and took the oath as Senate President on January 12, 2010. Senate President Sweeney entered public service after his daughter was born with Down syndrome. He was horrified at the manner in which individuals with disabilities were treated and set out to make a difference not just in his daughter’s life, but in lives of those in his community.
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