[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 17, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                NAMING PS 165 THE EDITH BERGTRAUM SCHOOL

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                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 1995
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my constituents 
in the Fifth Congressional District of New York and with the many 
friends of the Bergtraum family as they gather on May 19 to honor the 
memory of the renowned educator Edith K. Bergtraum, and to name Public 
School 165 in her memory.
  Edith was both a personal friend and a dedicated member of the 
community. Her level of involvement and dedication created a yardstick 
by which all such activity can be measured.
  A long-time activist in the Kew Gardens Hills and Flushing 
communities, Edith was a product of the New York City school system as 
well as a graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New 
York. Her sense of community brought her beyond the boundaries of her 
neighborhood; she quickly assumed leadership roles in the Kew Gardens 
Hills Jewish Center, the Queens County Democratic Committee, and the 
Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women.
  Yet it was in the field of education that Edith had her most 
significant impact. She began her educational career when PS 165 opened 
and her son entered the first grade in a school that had 3,000 children 
but only 1,000 seats. With the support of her husband, Murry Bergtraum 
(a most powerful advocate for the schools children of New York City who 
would later become president of the City's Board of Education), Edith 
quickly and effectively joined the ongoing fight for the rights and 
education of children.
  When Murry became the first president of the PS 165 Parents-Teachers 
Association, Edith assumed a seat on the executive board. Their joint 
efforts to alleviate the overcrowding in the school were successful, as 
three more elementary schools--PS 200, 201, and 219--were constructed 
nearby. When her children moved onto Junior High School 218 and Forest 
Hills High School, Edith followed, enriching these schools with the 
same dynamism that she brought to PS 165.
  As her involvement grew, so did recognition of her capabilities. In 
1974, Edith was elected to Community School Board 25, a position she 
held for 19 years. During this period, she was elected president of the 
local school board. She also somehow found the time to serve on 
citywide educational committees on special education, personnel and 
budget. In 1993, she was named the Queens borough representative on the 
search committee to select a new schools chancellor.
  Mr. Speaker, as the people of Community School District 25 and those 
throughout New York City gather on May 19 to honor Edith K. Bergtraum, 
it is my hope that we will continue to be inspired and dedicated to the 
education of our children by following the most unique example she has 
set.
  I call on all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join 
me now in expressing our thanks and congratulations for Edith's good 
works to her family: her son, Howard Bergtraum, and daughter-in-law, 
Susan Bergtraum, and their children, Matthew, Jordan, and Andrea 
Bergtraum; Edith's daughter Judy Bergtraum; and Edith's daughter Marcia 
Bergtraum-Williams, and son-in-law, Dan Williams, and their children, 
Harel and Marc Williams; Edith's brother and sister-in-law, Stanley and 
Bernice Bergtraum; and Edith's sister and brother-in-law, Nat and 
Janice Sommer.
  With the dedication of the Edith Bergtraum School, we ensure that the 
people of New York will long remember a dynamic educator, a 
compassionate humanitarian, and a special friend.


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