WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is known as the Cradle of Liberty; and
WHEREAS, The core rights that protect all Americans were first signed into law in Philadelphia over 200 years ago as the Bill of Rights; and
WHEREAS, For nearly twenty years, Stefan Presser led the Philadelphia office of the American Civil Liberties Union as its legal director, defending and securing the civil rights of countless Philadelphians of all backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Stefan Presser was born in Brooklyn in 1953 but made his home in Philadelphia beginning in 1983; and
WHEREAS, Stefan Presser’s efforts brought about systemic changes in the way the City of Philadelphia handles foster care and neglect cases, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of adoptions and a reduction in the number of children languishing in foster care; and
WHEREAS, He was instrumental in the exposure of police corruption in the 39th District and in the creation of the Integrity and Accountability Office; and
WHEREAS, Upon his death on October 7, 2005 he was described as “committed to his work with every molecule of his being”; and
WHEREAS, In his life he was guided by the Jewish principle of “tikkun olam,” the obligation to repair the world, and inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, His rabbi described him as a “man of absolutely no cynicism,” and he has left his adopted city a legacy of integrity and commitment to liberty; now therefore
RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Philadelphia honors the life and memory of Stefan Presser; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to his wife, Sandra Sherman, and his children, David, Natania and Rachel Sherman-Presser, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this body.
End