[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 77 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 77


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2003

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 
 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people 
 for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious 
                               tolerance.

Whereas the people of the United States and the Republic of Bulgaria respect all 
        faiths, including Judaism and Jewish culture;
Whereas during World War II, despite being allied with Germany, Bulgarians did 
        not cede to Nazi pressure to fully enforce anti-Jewish legislation and 
        resisted orders to


deport their Jewish compatriots to Nazi concentration camps;

Whereas in the spring of 1943 the Bulgarian people succeeded in preventing the 
        deportation of 50,000 Jews to such camps;
Whereas it is acknowledged with sadness that the deportation of over 11,000 Jews 
        from Thrace and Macedonia territories which were administered by 
        Bulgaria at that time, to Nazi concentration camps, took place;
Whereas Bulgaria was the only European country during World War II to increase 
        its Jewish population;
Whereas members of the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, King 
        Boris III, politicians, intellectuals, and citizens all played a part in 
        the resistance to Nazi pressure to carry out the deportation;
Whereas March 2003 marks the 60th anniversary of Bulgaria's refusal to deport 
        its Jews to Nazi concentration camps;
Whereas the Bulgarian people today preserve and continue their tradition of 
        ethnic and religious tolerance; and
Whereas President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha are 
        leading the United States and Bulgaria into a long-term strategic 
        partnership: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the historic 
        rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commends 
        the Bulgarian people for preserving and continuing their 
        tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance; and
            (2) reiterates its support for strong ties between the 
        United States and Bulgaria.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 11, 2003.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.