[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A TRIBUTE TO SI FRUMKIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to join my colleague 
Howard Berman in paying tribute to Si Frumkin, who passed away in Los 
Angeles, California on May 15, 2009. For more than 40 years, Si was a 
singularly focused and steadfast voice fighting for equality, freedom 
and dignity. As a Holocaust survivor, he heard a call of duty and 
answered it with a passionate resolve to not rest until the injustices 
he identified had been addressed. He was a role model, a mentor, and a 
friend we will miss.
  Born in 1930 in the town of Kaunas, Lithuania, Simas Frumkinas came 
from an affluent family that was not particularly religious or 
politically active. When the Germans invaded Kaunas in 1941, and the 
Communists took over his father's business, the Frumkin family was 
herded into a Jewish ghetto. The ghetto was liquidated in 1944, and Si 
and his father were sent to the Dachau concentration camp where he and 
his father were forced laborers in a Nazi aircraft hangar. Si was just 
13 years old.
  Si's father passed away just 20 days before Dauchau was liberated in 
1945. When the camp was liberated by the U.S. Army, he went on to study 
in Switzerland, England, and Venezuela, where he was reunited with his 
mother before graduating from New York University in 1953. Soon after, 
he arrived in Los Angeles, where he took over a textile company--
Universal Drapery Fabrics--and earned a master's degree in History at 
night at the California State University campus in Northridge.
  As he became aware of the repression of Soviet Jews in the early 
1960s, Si leapt into action, beginning a relentless journey as a 
founding father of the Soviet Jewry movement and becoming a mentor and 
ally on behalf of Soviet Jews. He brought up a young student to UCLA 
and that student went on to become Los Angeles City Councilman (now 
County Supervisor) Zev Yaroslavsky. In 1968, he formed the Southern 
California Council for Soviet Jews and excelled in using unconventional 
methods to bring attention to the issue. When the Bolshoi ballet 
performed in Los Angeles, Si wrote up fake programs encouraging patrons 
to enjoy the ballet but adding a message about the oppression. When 
President Nixon was visited by Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, Si 
released 5,000 balloons with the message, ``Let My People Go.'' With 
candlelight rallies attended by tens of thousands, letter-writing 
campaigns and other grass roots efforts, he enlisted a generation into 
action.
  Once the Iron Curtain fell and thousands of Jews were permitted to 
leave, Si turned his focus to assist in resettling those who arrived in 
Los Angeles and Southern California. He became the liaison for the 
emigres on everything from resume workshops to clothing drives.
  In 1992, Si began publishing ``Graffiti for Intellectuals,'' a bi-
weekly newsletter with information and commentary on politics, social 
issues, and challenges in the community. With candor, conviction and 
often a touch of humor, his columns expounded on the needs of Holocaust 
survivors seeking restitution and reparations, the plight of Israel, 
the fight against anti-Semitism, and other Jewish causes.
  In the face of fierce resistance, Si never relented or grew too tired 
to persevere. His creativity and sincerity inspired people to action. 
While we mourn his absence, we pay tribute with an enduring debt of 
gratitude for his remarkable courage and vision. His tremendous legacy 
will be felt for generations to come.
  Si is survived by his wife, Ella, his son, Michael, and two 
grandchildren. Ella, who always stood solidly beside him and encouraged 
him to carry on the cause, deserves recognition as an equal partner in 
his lifelong achievements. Those who knew Si well can attest to his 
enduring love for his family and his avid collection of chess sets.
  We ask that our colleagues join us as we celebrate the remarkable 
life and tremendous contributions of Si Frumkin. Si was living proof 
that one person can change the course of history.

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