Pa. Democrats elect Groen as state chairman; Burn officially resigns

[Divernan]

GETTYSBURG — The Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee elected Marcel Groen as its chairman on Saturday, ending months of uncertainty that fractured the state party's leadership.
Groen, a lawyer who has headed the Montgomery County Democratic Committee for more than two decades, was unopposed in his bid to serve as the party's leader for the nearly three years left in the second term of former chairman Jim Burn.

Burn, a former Allegheny County councilman and mayor of Millvale, resigned Saturday prior to the state committee vote, fulfilling a promise he made in July to step down in the interest of party unity.

“I see this as the best solution ... to get the focus back on the candidates and the Democrats,” rather than on internal disputes, Burn said Friday.

This year's election battle for control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could assure Democrats a majority on the state's highest court for more than a decade if they win all three open seats. The crucial 2016 election will bring the Democratic National Convention to Philadelphia and decide slew of national and state races: the presidency, the U.S. Senate and House, the three state row offices and the state Legislature.

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“They're all important,” said Groen, 70, who will serve as chairman through at least June 2018.

Groen, who has been active in Democratic politics since 1971, said he wants to involve more rank-and-file party members in the candidate endorsement process and encourage potential rising stars. As Montgomery County's Democratic leader, he was instrumental in the party's takeover of county government in 2012 for the first time in nearly 150 years.

Groen, a partner in the Fox Rothschild law firm, is the son of Holocaust survivors from Amsterdam who emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 9.

“When I got off the boat, I spoke no English,” he said Friday.

The Post-Gazette article gives additional background on today's meeting in Gettysburg and the issues involved in this change in leadership. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2015/09/12/Pennsylvania-Democrats-select-Groen-as-party-chair/stories/201509120155

Today’s outcome was never in doubt. After Mr. Burn announced his plans to resign, support quickly coalesced around Mr. Groen, who was backed by Mr. Wolf. Many party regulars believe the governor, as the state party’s standard bearer, deserves deference on selecting the party’s leadership.

But not everyone agrees, especially in rural areas, where some party leaders have complained of being neglected by the party’s urban centers. By all accounts, Mr. Burn has made nurturing relationships with party leaders a hallmark of his tenure.

“Jim built a grass-roots effort: He knew the county chairs and the caucus chairs, and the local people got to know who he was,” said Charles Vizzini, a state committeeman from Cambria County.

“I thought Jim Burn was doing a great job, and I’m not pleased to see him being forced out,” said Franklin County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Sherri Morgan on Friday.

[Divernan]

1. Moving Congressional tribute by Joe Sestak to Marcel Groen's father

March 26, 2012
Congressional tribute to Rabbi Nardus Groen
By davidgroen1

The following is a Congressional tribute to my father less than 1 month
after his death by then Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania.

http://hollandsheroes.com/tag/joe-sestak/


[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 112
(Friday, July 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the
Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TRIBUTE TO
RABBI NARDUS GROEN

______

HON. JOE SESTAK

of Pennsylvania

in the House of Representatives

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the
life of a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother,
son, veteran, and community leader--Rabbi Nardus Groen, who passed away
on Wednesday, June 13 after living a full life of community service.

Rabbi Nardus Groen was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on
December 18, 1919 and grew to become a hero and a family man. As a
member of the Dutch Underground during World War II, Rabbi Groen was
captured by German soldiers multiple times and heroically managed to
escape each time. One particular act of heroism occurred in 1940 when
Groen was guarding a Jewish hospital in the Netherlands during its
evacuation. Although the patients had escaped, Groen was protecting a
group of Jewish nurses as the Nazis approached. Selflessly, he slipped
on a Red Cross arm band and escorted the nurses into a room. When the
Nazis asked who was in the room, Groen explained that he was caring for
patients with Scarlet Fever. Fearing the illness, the Nazis spared the
Jewish nurses, including Groen's future wife, the former Sipora
Rodriguez-Lopes.

After World War II, Rabbi Nardus Groen served at Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina under the American Marine Corps. Following his stint with the
Marines, Groen worked as a psychologist at a Jewish orphanage for
Holocaust survivors. He helped countless youths cope with one of the
greatest tragedies in human history. Two years later, he began to serve
as a rabbi at the oldest congregation in the Western Hemisphere in
Surinam. Groen led a mixed Sephardic Ashkenazic congregation in Surinam
until 1952 when he served as a rabbi in Einhoven, the Netherlands. He
became one of the foremost leaders of his community, uniting two
different cultures in one synagogue.

Nardus Groen moved to Lansdale, PA as a renowned rabbi in 1963 where
he served as Beth Israel Synagogue's rabbi for 13 years. He provided
guidance and spiritual leadership to Beth Israel's community, helping
his community grow to the vibrant Jewish center it is today. Groen
moved back to Europe and retired in 1986 as the chief rabbi for the
eastern six provinces of the Netherlands. He lived what he preached and
will be remembered across the Netherlands.

After his retirement, Rabbi Groen and his loving wife Sipora lived in
the Netherlands and Delray Beach, Florida after his retirement before
permanently settling in Florida in 2005. Rabbi Groen spent his last
years as a loving father to Marcel Groen, Leo Groen, Ruben Groen, David
Groen, and Debra Groen; a loving brother to Meyers Groen and Sophia
Groen; a loving grandfather and great grandfather to twelve
grandchildren and six great grandchildren; and a loving husband to
Sipora Groen.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring and remembering Rabbi
Nardus Groen. Through his hard work, Rabbi Groen has spread hope across
three continents and will be remembered as a strong leader, a caring
mentor, and a true mensch.