[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 52 (Tuesday, May 2, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E602-E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE ANNUAL BAYONNE HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY OBSERVANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2000

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Annual Bayonne 
Holocaust Remembrance Day Observance.
  This is not just a day to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust, it 
is also a day to celebrate the special commitment the Jewish community 
has to its heritage and the preservation of Jewish identity.
  The ceremony will feature speaker Norman Salsitz, a Holocaust 
survivor himself. He was born in Kolbuszowa, Poland, the youngest of 
nine children. During the war, he was confined to a ghetto and three 
labor camps, escaping on several occasions, and eventually commanding a 
Jewish partisan group in southern Poland. Later, he joined the Polish 
army and rose to the rank of colonel.
  Germans murdered Norman Salsitz's mother and sisters, and their 
husbands and children. He witnessed the shooting of his father. These 
tragic events have contributed to his unwavering commitment to the 
Jewish community and its legacy.
  For many years, Norman Salsitz has participated in numerous and 
diverse Jewish organizations, such as Israeli Bonds, United Jewish 
Appeal, and Jewish Fighters and Partisans. He is an executive board 
member of the National Federation of Holocaust Survivors. He has 
authored two books: Against All Odds: A Tale of Two Survivors, co-
authored by his wife; and A Jewish Boyhood in Poland: Remembering 
Kolbuszowa.

[[Page E603]]

  Proclamations will be made by Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr., the 
honorary chairman of the event. This year's event is dedicated to the 
memory of Colonel Anthony Podbielski, a longtime and active member of 
the committee.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the annual Holocaust 
Remembrance Day Observance; and I ask that we, too, remember the 
Holocaust.

                          ____________________