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Regular Session, 2011 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 91
BY SENATOR MCPHERSON AND REPRESENTATI VE HAZEL
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend Dr. Arnold Task on his retirement as Rabbi of the Gemiluth Chassodim Jewish
Temple.
WHEREAS, Dr. Task is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a 1952 graduate of the
University of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, in 1955, he married Judy Wiener, and they have three children, five
grandchildren, and three step-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, he was ordained in 1958 at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute
of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he received a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters, and
in 1983, he earned a Doctor of Divinity degree; and
WHEREAS, before moving to Alexandria, Louisiana, Dr. Task served congregations
in St. Louis, Missouri; Newport News, Virginia; and Greensboro, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, in Newport News, Virginia, beyond his Rabbinical responsibilities,
Rabbi Task was president of the Peninsula Family Services and Traveler's Aid, on the board
of the American Red Cross, Peninsula Council on Aging, Peninsula Association of Retarded
Children, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews; and
WHEREAS, from 1964 to 1965, Rabbi Task served as director of the Mid-Atlantic
Federation of Temple Youth, and dean of the National Federation of Temple Youth
Leadership Institute for two years; and
WHEREAS, in Greensboro, North Carolina, he served as president of the Family
Service and Traveler Aid, co-chair of the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust,
chairman of the Guilford County Commission on the Needs of Children, and chairman of
the City of Greensboro Human Relations Commission; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Task was president of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Central
Conference of American Rabbis, and served two terms on the National Executive Board of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis; and SCR NO. 91 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, in addition to his congregational duties in Alexandria, Louisiana, he
served as president of the Central Louisiana Ministers Association, the Family Counseling
Agency, Angel Care, and is the current president of the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military
Museum at Camp Beauregard; and
WHEREAS, he is past chairman of the Louisiana State University at Alexandria Lay
Advisory Committee and, for three years, he was vice president for Military Affairs of the
Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Task has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way,
Renaissance Home, and is past president of the Central Louisiana Community Foundation;
and
WHEREAS, he chaired the Alexandria Human Relations Task Force and was
founder and first chairman of the Human Relations Commission; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Task is a member of the Veterans Affairs Health Ethics
Commission, co-chair of the Cenla Health Care Ethics Coalition, chairman of the State of
Louisiana Region VI Mental Health Advisory Council, and a member of the Alexandria
Rotary Club; and
WHEREAS, he has lectured at colleges in Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Virginia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina, and served as an adjunct professor at Greensboro
College and Louisiana State University at Alexandria for thirty-six years, teaching Judaism
and the Holocaust; and
WHEREAS, since 1989, Dr. Task has been the spiritual leader of the Gemiluth
Chassodim Jewish Temple in Alexandria, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Task has received numerous awards and honors including, but not
limited to, the Newport News Distinguished Merit Citation, the Greensboro Chamber of
Commerce Human Rights Award, the Greensboro Kiwanis Club Distinguished Service
Award, the Arthritis Foundation Humanitarian Award, the Alexandria Veteran's Affair
Medical Center Trailblazer Award, and the State of Louisiana Legacy of Achievement
Award; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Task announced his retirement in January, 2011, indicating that
June 24, 2011 will be his last day as the leader of the Gemiluth Chassodim Jewish Temple
congregation; and
WHEREAS, Alexandria City Councilman, Harry Silver, instrumental in recruiting
Dr. Task, says that Rabbi Task is well accepted and respected in every aspect of family and
religious life. SCR NO. 91 ENROLLED
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend Dr. Arnold Task on his retirement as Rabbi of the Gemiluth Chassodim Jewish
Temple.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
Arnold Task.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES