Editor’s Note: The following column was written by former Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon on May 21, 2009.

Today Andrew Romanoff, Herzl Melmed and I received awards from the Jewish Community Relations Council. Herzl, a doctor, lived in Israel during the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars and cared for casualties. He has an enormous number of accomplishments. When he accepted his award, he gave credit to others. “Finally,” he said, “I have to talk about my wife, behind every man, there is a woman… rolling her eyes.”

The event was held at Temple Emanuel. It reminded me of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah we held for my kids Ben and Windy. I remember Ben saying, “You mean I have to write thank you notes to everyone who gave me a present?”

“It’s not so bad,” I told him. “I had to write thank you notes when I had my Bar Mitzvah too… and I only have a few left to send.”

The award we were given is inscribed, “Rabbi Shimon, Son of Gamliel said: By three things is the world sustained: JUSTICE, TRUTH AND PEACE.”