[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 62 (Monday, April 27, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          SIMON WIESENTHAL HOLOCAUST EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I rise today to discuss the Simon 
Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act, which I recently 
introduced. This important legislation would provide competitive grants 
for educational organizations to make Holocaust education more 
accessible and available throughout the Nation.
  Last Tuesday, people from all corners of the Earth, representing all 
faiths stood together to solemnly commemorate Holocaust Remembrance 
Day, in memorial of perhaps the greatest crime ever perpetrated against 
humanity. As we reflect upon the tragedies of the events surrounding 
the Holocaust--the lives lost, the families destroyed, the potential 
unfulfilled--we must renew our commitment to never forget, so this dark 
chapter in history will never be repeated.
  We must never forget the approximately six million Jewish men, women 
and children, as well as the millions of others who faced persecution, 
displacement, and death at the hands of the Nazis. We must remember 
their stories not just to honor their lives, but more importantly, to 
educate the next generation about the dangers of intolerance, 
ignorance, and bigotry.
  Some may question the necessity of studying an event that--while 
horrific--happened over half a century ago and an ocean away. Other 
skeptics will argue that anti-Semitism--while terrible--is a relic of 
the past that simply doesn't exist in modern society. Unfortunately, we 
ignore history at our peril, and not recognizing and taking seriously 
the seeds of bigotry and anti-Semitism that have again begun to take 
root around the world only serves to promulgate it.
  Recently, anti-Semitism has surfaced disguised in the form of anti-
Israel rhetoric. The two have morphed into a virulent attack against 
all Jews resulting in a provocative and dangerous escalation of 
physical attacks against Jewish individuals, synagogues and other 
Jewish institutions around the world. Symbols of Nazi Germany have been 
used in this form of anti-Semitism as a cudgel against Jews, insulting 
the honor of millions of Jewish people--a people still emerging from 
the dark shadow cast by the Holocaust. Some have sought to rewrite 
history to minimize and spin the facts surrounding the Holocaust. The 
leadership of Iran has waged campaigns not just to alter, but to simply 
erase an inconvenient history. Holocaust deniers--authors and others 
who have the bully pulpit have smeared the truth of history--something 
that is regrettably so much easier to do as the Holocaust recedes in 
time and as those who can bear witness are dwindling in numbers.
  Unfortunately, we need not look half way around the globe for 
examples of anti-Semitism, intolerance and hate; but rather we can look 
to our own neighborhoods and communities. In Fort Lauderdale earlier 
this year at an anti-Israel rally, a demonstrator was heard to say ``Go 
back to the oven. You need a big oven,'' a horrific reference to the 
crematoria of Nazi Germany. And it saddens me to note that in my home 
State of New Jersey, a State of immense diversity, tolerance and 
understanding, we have seen a number of recent troubling anti-Semitic 
incidents that tear away at the decency and civility that we should 
expect in this great Nation.
  Last December, three Glen Rock teenagers were charged with painting a 
swastika and the word ``Jew'' on the property of Jewish residents.
  This past January, a Kenilworth family awoke one morning to find a 
Star of David and the word ``Die'' carved into their garage door.
  Last month, Northvale public school students had to endure anti-
Semitic graffiti scrawled throughout the walls of their school.
  A New Jersey family made national headlines by naming their three 
young children Aryan Nation, Hinler, and Adolf Hitler.
  As recently as last week, in Union City, where I grew up, authorities 
were investigating an act of arson in a classroom of a Jewish school 
that is being reported as a hate crime.
  These troubling events do not occur in a vacuum. They are a 
reflection of an ever-present current of hate. We cannot sit idly and 
hope that time alone will heal the wounds of genocide or solve our 
issues of continued intolerance. We must take proactive steps to ensure 
that our society remembers and learns from the painful experiences of 
the Holocaust. Holocaust education is essential to the enlightenment, 
understanding, and empathy of our youngest generations and their role 
in history to come.
  The Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Act is an important step 
toward this goal. While some States, like New Jersey, currently require 
the Holocaust to be taught in public schools, this act goes further and 
makes grants available to organizations that instruct students, 
teachers, and communities about the dangers of hate and the importance 
of tolerance in our society. This legislation would give educators the 
appropriate resources and training to teach accurate historical 
information about the Holocaust and convey the lessons that the 
Holocaust can teach us today. I certainly cannot think of a better 
namesake for this bill, for Simon Wiesenthal honored the memories of 
those lost by dedicating his life to bringing those responsible for 
these horrific acts to justice.
  Only by proper acknowledgement of the incredible loss of life during 
the Holocaust, will we ever be able to ensure that such an event never 
happens again.
  It is in our common interest to raise our voices against anti-
Semitism and against all hatred and discrimination. Funding accurate 
Holocaust educational programs is a step toward winning this battle.
  So as America stands with Israel and all followers of the Jewish 
faith in condemning anti-Semitism, let us do everything in our power to 
end discrimination and educate future generations about the danger of 
hatred and bigotry.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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