[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 19, 2007

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, before I begin my remarks, I would 
like to take a moment to send my prayers and condolences to the entire 
Virginia Tech community. The Nation and world are mourning with you. 
The United States Congress stands at your side.
  As today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, I would like to extend special 
recognition to one of the 32 victims of this unbelievable catastrophe. 
Liviu Librescu, 76 at the time of his death, had known tragedy since 
childhood. When Romania joined forces with Nazi Germany in World War 
II, the young Librescu was interned in a labor camp, and then sent 
along with his family and thousands of other Jews to a central ghetto 
in the city of Focsani. Hundreds of thousands of Romanian Jews were 
killed by the collaborationist regime during the war, yet Liviu 
Librescu survived.
  Liviu Librescu was an internationally respected aeronautics engineer 
and a lecturer at Virginia Tech for 20 years. He saved the lives of 
several students by blocking the gunman before he was gunned down in 
the shooting.
  I know that Professor Librescu would join me in expressing solidarity 
with Jews across this Nation and around the world in honoring Holocaust 
Remembrance Day, or as it is known in Hebrew, Yom HaShoah.
  My district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, is home to 
the largest concentration of survivors in the State of Illinois and 
perhaps in the country, and this day holds deep meaning for those 
individuals and the entire community.
  Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the 
importance of this day. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and 
demonstrations continue in numerous countries. The Iranian President, 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has threatened to use nuclear weapons to wipe 
Israel off the face of the map.
  With anti-Semitism on the rise, we must be reminded that ``Never 
Again'' is not a guarantee, but a pledge that we must uphold through 
education, dialogue, and determination. It also reminds us that we must 
continue to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. 
Moreover, we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the 
Middle East.

  ``Never Again'' means that we must combat hate wherever it exists. 
While the Holocaust was a unique incident, a genocide is taking place 
right in front of our eyes in the Darfur region of Sudan. In February 
2006 I traveled to Darfur where President Bush and the U.S. Congress 
have officially acknowledged' 'genocide'' is taking place. The conflict 
has spilled across international borders and hundreds of thousands have 
fled into Chad. The window to provide security and hope is narrowing. 
According to the Commander of the African Union forces who briefed the 
participants of my Congressional Delegation in Darfur, ``There is no 
sense of urgency outside.''
  As a Jew, I cannot sit idle while these atrocities continue to unfold 
in Darfur. The lessons from the Holocaust have taught us that we must 
never turn a blind eye to terror or discrimination. We must demand that 
our government hold those who carry out acts of needless brutality 
accountable. I believe that everyone should take a moment today to 
consider the role of the U.S. in the prevention and prosecution of 
genocide.
  The Holocaust was the most horrific human atrocity the world saw 
during the last century and perhaps in the history of the planet. 
Millions of Jews and others were brutalized, raped, beaten, 
dehumanized, enslaved, robbed, and murdered. While it is hard to grasp 
how terrible those events must have been, what all of our children, and 
we must do is to listen to the stories of those few remaining survivors 
of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories and their suffering are 
a permanent part of history.
  Today we honor and mourn those who perished. We vow to live our lives 
in a way that pays tribute to their memory and ensures others will not 
suffer their fate.

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