[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION TO REUNITE FAMILIES SEPARATED BY THE 
                               HOLOCAUST

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FRANKS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 1997

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last summer I had the honor of 
being involved in a remarkable reunion between two siblings who were 
both Holocaust survivors, but who had been separated for over 60 years. 
Solomon and Rivka Bromberg were separated during the Holocaust, and 
neither had heard from the other since.
  However, thanks to the resourceful work of younger relatives and 
Israel's Jewish Agency, these two Holocaust survivors were finally 
reunited in Israel in August after so many years. Solomon Bromberg's 
oldest son Michael had worked with the Jewish Agency to contact Sharon 
Feingold, the granddaughter of Rivka Bromberg Feingold. They then 
orchestrated a phone call between Solomon and Rivka and a formal 
reunion in person.
  I became involved with this emotional saga only when the family began 
its search, which is still ongoing, for a third sibling, Abraham 
Bromberg, believed to be in the United States. Nevertheless, I had been 
very moved by the emotional reunion of Solomon and Rivka.
  Today there are thousands of Holocaust survivors in Russia, Eastern 
Europe, the United States, Israel, and other nations who were separated 
from their families during the Holocaust and who may not know the fates 
of their relatives.
  For this reason I introduced a concurrent resolution in the last 
Congress to urge the Secretary of State, foreign nations, especially 
Israel, Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European nations, and 
organizations such as the Red Cross and Israel's Jewish Agency, to 
coordinate efforts to help reunite family members separated as a result 
of the Holocaust. Today, I am introducing this resolution.
  If my colleagues could have seen the emotional reunion of the 
Brombergs, they would agree with me that these thousands of families 
deserve help in finding their own long lost relatives. With some 
additional effort by the State Department and the cooperation of other 
agencies and foreign governments, there can be thousands more happy 
reunions. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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