U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn) has eulogized Karen Shapira, former chair of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh, in a speech on the Senate floor.

Shapira, who died Jan. 25 from breast cancer at age 60, was "an extremely caring and selfless individual," Santorum said. 

Noting that Shapira had called herself a "professional volunteer," Santorum offered these words of tribute to Shapira during the Senate's Feb. 3 floor session:

For more than 20 years, she served the Jewish community, both in Pittsburgh and abroad. Most notably, she chaired the United Jewish Federation of  Pittsburgh, which is responsible for delivering grants for educational, cultural, and human service programs. 

Her deep involvement in the Jewish community led her to Israel, where she met with Prime 
Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. Through her capacity as chair of Partnership 2000 at the 
United Jewish Federation, Karen worked on projects with several schools, camps, women's health centers, and job training facilities in Israel. She also chaired a revolving loan fund of the 
Israel Emergency Appeal, which supports Israeli small businesses. 

Karen could also be found serving her local community in Pittsburgh. She had a major leadership 
role at the United Way of Allegheny County, cochairing the Early Childhood Initiative, and she 
served on the boards of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Shady Side Academy. Karen was also appointed by Governor Ridge to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. 

It is obvious from the several awards that Karen received that her dedication to the Jewish 
community did not go unnoticed. Specifically, Karen received the 2002 Emanuel Specter Award and the Sonia and Aaron Levinson Award for the pursuit of social justice, both from the United Jewish Federation. 

Karen was also devoted to her family. She was married to David Shapira for 41 years and raised 
three children, Laura Karet, Debbie, and Jeremy. Karen leaves behind a wonderful family, and a 
legacy of community service and outreach.                      —Donald H. Harrison