[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING YOM-HASHOAH

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                          HON. MICHAEL PAPPAS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 1998

  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tragedy of the 
loss of six million Jewish people, one and a half million of which were 
children, who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. Today is Yom-
HaShoah, the day in which we recognize the horrific genocide that Adolf 
Hitler imposed on so many.
  Mr. Speaker, last year a group of young people from my district came 
to Washington and joined me on a visit to the Holocaust Museum. 
Additionally, last year, thanks to the assistance of the Jewish 
Federations in my district, I was fortunate enough to visit Yad Vashem 
in Israel. I cannot adequately express in words how moved I was to see 
the photographs of the victims, read the stories of so many families, 
and listened to the experiences that was told by the survivors. We can 
never forget what happened. Not only should we use this time to 
remember the past, but we must also educate our young people and future 
generations about the Holocaust in order to preserve the memory of 
those who lost their lives, honor those who were fortunate enough to 
survive and to reaffirm the promise of ``never again!''
  Throughout this entire week, from April 19 through April 26, 1998 the 
United States Holocaust Memorial Council will lead the nation in civic 
commemorations of the victims of the Holocaust, called Days of 
Remembrance. Next week we will recognize the 50th year anniversary of 
the establishment of the state of Israel.
  So today Mr. Speaker, I join with the people of Israel, those in my 
district, the Jewish Community Centers and Temples, in remembering the 
victims and saluting the courage of the survivors of the Holocaust.

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