[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER IN WEST BLOOMFIELD

 Mr. RIEGLE. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my 
congratulations to the Holocaust Memorial Center in West Bloomfield, 
MI, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary on October 21 of this 
year. The HMC is America's first free standing Holocaust center. Since 
opening to the public, it has worked to preserve the memory of the 
6,000,000 Jews killed during the Holocaust and to disseminate the 
universal lessons of this tragic period in history--most importantly, 
the need to protect the freedom and dignity of all people. Its unique 
facilities and educational programs instruct thousands of young people 
annually, and its extensive library-archive comprises one of the most 
impressive collections in the world on the Holocaust, the Christian-
Judaic relationship, and European Jewish history.
  In 1962, Rabbi Charles Rosensveig first proposed the idea for a 
Holocaust Memorial Center to a group of Holocaust survivors in 
Metropolitan Detroit. The group, known as Shaarit Haplaytah (``the 
Remnant''), quickly embraced the idea. After years of planning, the 
Holocaust Memorial Center finally opened to the public in 1984 on the 
Jewish Community Campus in West Bloomfield, MI. Since that time, the 
center has educated the public through daily tours, periodic lectures 
by knowledgeable Holocaust scholars and authors, and annual seminars 
and symposiums for teachers. In order to reach the larger community, 
the HMC also frequently sponsors special events such as the 
``Celebration of Survival'' and the children's opera ``Brundibar.''
  The contributions that have been made to the community of Detroit and 
to all of Michigan by the Holocaust Memorial Center in its first 10 
years are significant. In addition, the HMC has served as a catalyst 
and a role model for other Holocaust centers in the United States and 
abroad. The center honors the dead and ensures that they will no be 
forgotten. But most importantly, the HMC perpetually strives to promote 
tolerance and understanding between people of diverse cultural 
backgrounds.
  Mr. President, centers like the HMC have significantly elevated 
public awareness about the lessons of the Holocaust. Today, I think 
most Americans understand how deeply important it is that we remember 
the tragedies that occurred in order that history not be allowed to 
repeat itself. Hatred, intolerance, fear and silence were the 
accomplices of the Holocaust. We are very fortunate to have dedicated 
individuals in our communities like Rabbi Rosensveig, and the people 
Shaarit Haplaytah, to show us the perils of succumbing to such 
debilitating weaknesses. It is a pleasure to commemorate the 10th 
anniversary of the Holocaust Memorial Center in West Bloomfield, and it 
is an honor to recognize the individuals who made it possible.

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