[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO ILENE MUNETZ PACHMAN AND HER EFFORTS FOR THE RAOUL 
                        WALLENBERG POSTAGE STAMP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ilene Munetz 
Pachman--a Bucks County, PA, freelance writer, educator, and author of 
children's books--who spent 4 years of determined effort to convince 
the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp in 
honor of the Swedish Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg. On May 8 of this 
year, a number of my colleagues from the House and the Senate joined 
with me, Mrs. Pachman, Postmaster General Marvin Runyan, Postal Service 
Governor S. David Fineman, and my wife, Annette, in unveiling the 
design of the Wallenberg stamp. This stamp will be issued next year.
  It is highly appropriate to have a U.S. stamp honoring Wallenberg. 
This Swedish businessman, a member of Sweden's most prominent banking 
and business family, went to Budapest, Hungary, at the request of the 
United States Government in 1944 in a desperate effort to save the 
lives of Jewish victims of the Nazi extermination machine. Through his 
incredible struggle, he saved the lives of tens of thousands.
  Mrs. Pachman first learned about Wallenberg at her synagogue. 
Initially, she wrote articles about him. Even after the collapse of the 
Soviet Union, as his fate continues to be a mystery, she was determined 
to see that he continued to have a high profile. In continuing her 
efforts, Ilene said that she was inspired by the success of my wife, 
Annette, in bringing recognition to Raoul Wallenberg's extraordinary 
deeds.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1992, about the time that a U.S. stamp was issued 
with Elvis Presley, Mrs. Pachman focused on the importance of honoring 
Raoul Wallenberg with a U.S. commemorative stamp. ``Our children need 
genuine heroes,'' she told me. ``With the precious name and likeness of 
Wallenberg coming into millions of American homes, via a stamp, his 
altruism will be discussed and, hopefully, his goodness emulated.''
  Often squeezing as many as 40 hours a week for correspondence and 
telephone networking into the time left from her professional and 
family life, Mrs, Pachman enlisted the support of a broad spectrum of 
civil rights and human rights leaders, including Elie Wiesel, Coretta 
Scott King, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, Steven Spielberg, 
and president of the American Red Cross, Elizabeth Dole. Confident that 
the Wallenberg stamp would be supported by Americans of all faiths, she 
enlisted support from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, the National Council 
of Churches, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, Evangelical Lutheran 
Church in America, B'nai B'righ International, and other organizations. 
She also received the support of Senators Carl Levin and Paul Wellstone 
and Mrs. Pachman's own representative, Congressman Jim Greenwood, in 
addition to the support of more than 100 other Members of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Ilene Pachman for her efforts in winning support for the issuing of a 
stamp to honor Raoul Wallenberg and to perpetuate the memoray of that 
outstanding humanitarian.

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