[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 9, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE MARCH OF THE LIVING

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 1996

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call the attention of my 
colleagues to a critical program which I am proud to say is based in my 
New York City district--The March of the Living.
  The March of the Living is a yearly journey in which thousands of 
Jewish teenagers gather from around the world in Poland and in Israel. 
During this unforgettable trip, these young people learn first hand 
about two 20th century events that changed the history of mankind 
forever--the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel.
  While in Poland, March participants tour various cities where there 
had been vibrant Jewish communities before World War II, including 
Warsaw, Krakow, and Lublin. After seeing communities where Jewish life 
flourished, the teens are taken to the death camps where these lives 
were destroyed. The teens participate in a march from Auschwitz to 
Birkenau on Holocaust Memorial Day, the same day that Members of 
Congress gather in the Capitol Rotunda to honor the memory of those who 
were murdered in this genocide. I believe that this ``march of the 
living''--young people retracing the steps of countless innocent 
victims who marched to their deaths--is one of the most creative and 
meaningful Holocaust remembrance programs ever enacted.
  After showing the world that they will never forget the horrors of 
the Holocaust, the teenagers travel to Israel, where they visit the 
magnificent and vibrant Jewish homeland. Created out of the ashes of 
the Holocaust, the State of Israel stands as a great triumph, not only 
for the Jewish people, but for the cherished ideals of democracy, 
compassion, and enlightenment.
   Mr. Speaker, the March of the Living has changed the lives of over 
20,000 young people. It has proved to be an effective way of teaching 
the lessons of the past to our next generation of leaders. At this 
particular moment in time, I would like to join others in the Congress 
in appealing to the Government of Austria to become involved in this 
program.
  Half a century after the Nazi era, it is in Austria's best interests 
to show the world that it is committed to Holocaust remembrance and the 
preservation of Jewish heritage. A few weeks ago, the world was once 
again saddened to hear former Austrian President Kurt Waldheim's 
distorted views of World War II and his denial of his own facilitation 
of war crimes. Waldheim's autobiography, ``The Answer,'' is not the 
right answer to those who survived the Holocaust and those who lost 
their loved ones.
  In my view, this would be an opportune time for Austria to commit 
itself to participating in the March for the Living. For this nation to 
assist such a worthy effort to teach the lessons of the Holocaust would 
be the best answer anyone could give to Kurt Waldheim's tragic 
assertions.
  Let me conclude, Mr. Speaker, by congratulating the March of the 
Living on its outstanding work. I want to especially praise my 
constituent Ernest Goldblum for his tireless efforts on this and many 
other worthy causes, and to thank him for bringing these important 
issues to my attention.

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