[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 50 (Monday, April 19, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

  Mr. DeWINE. Madam President, yesterday was Yom HaShoah, Holocaust 
Remembrance Day. Holocaust Remembrance Day is the day that has been set 
aside for remembering the victims of the Holocaust and for 
contemplating what can happen to civilized people when bigotry, hatred, 
and indifference reign.
  Between 1938 and 1945, the Nazis murdered over 11 million people 
throughout Europe, 6 million of them Jewish. On Holocaust Remembrance 
Day, we remember those who gave their lives because of their heritage, 
tradition, and beliefs. While the Jews of Europe were defenseless 
against the Nazi regime, many held on to their faith up until the last 
moments of their lives. Every year, on the Holocaust Remembrance Day, 
we remember those who sanctified the name of God in the death camps, 
the ghettos, and elsewhere.
  Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs on the 27th day of the Jewish 
calendar's month of Nissan. This year, that was yesterday. When it 
falls on a weekend, it is commemorated on the following Monday. The 
date also marks the anniversary of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 
1943, which occurred 61 years ago to the day--April 19, 1943.
  The Holocaust is not merely a story of destruction and loss. It is a 
remarkable story of the human spirit--of the life that flourished 
before the Holocaust, struggled during its darkest hours, and 
ultimately prevailed as the survivors and their progeny struggled to 
rebuild. Indeed, Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs just eight days 
before Israel's Independence Day. Today, in Israel, a morning siren 
sounds, stopping all activity--and people stand in honor of those who 
died. Indeed, people of all faiths around the world hold memorials and 
vigils, often lighting candles in honor of the Holocaust victims. Many 
hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.
  It has been over 50 years since the last concentration camp was 
liberated and many of the Holocaust survivors are now succumbing to 
natural causes. It is our obligation to share their stories to ensure 
that this horrible tragedy never repeats itself. We must honor the 
lives of those who lived on and those who did not survive the Nazis and 
their murderous cohorts.
  There are literally hundreds of excellent movies and documentaries on 
the events before, during, and after the Holocaust. They cover every 
possible topic from deepest tragedies to the pinnacle of one of the 
greatest forces of all--the human spirit. These films vary from 
Hollywood to amateur documentaries, and include the Shoah Foundation's 
valiant efforts to record living survivors. All should bear witness, so 
that this kind of inhumanity will never happen again. I also recommend 
visiting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum here in Washington. It is a 
unique treasure that serves as a soulful reminder of the events of 
World War II.
  Finally, seek out those with personal or family knowledge of this 
enormous tragedy. Nothing can replace the power of the first person 
accounts from a survivor, child of a survivor, liberator of the camps, 
or member of the resistance. Their stories teach us all.

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