[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COMMEMORATING HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 2010

  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Holocaust 
Remembrance Day, the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi 
concentration camps. I would like to specifically recognize the Yom 
HaShoah observation being held in Bakersfield, California on April 11, 
2010 by Temple Beth El and B'Nai Jacob Synagogue.
  The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and 
annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany. Over six million Jews 
were murdered and millions of others were slaughtered including the 
handicapped and those targeted for racial, ethnic or national reasons. 
During one of the darkest moments in human history, we experienced the 
human capacity for evil and the catastrophic consequences of 
indifference in the face of evil.
  This year's theme Stories of Freedom: What You Do Matters compels us 
to remember the victims of the Holocaust and honor the survivors, 
rescuers and liberators. Their stories of freedom remind us that 
individuals have the power to make a difference. William Harvey, a 
Holocaust Survivor, will share his personal testimony during 
Bakersfield's commemoration service. We must also pay tribute to the 
U.S. soldiers whose valiant efforts helped defeat Nazi Germany and 
liberate Holocaust survivors from years of suffering.
  To preserve human freedom, we must choose to uphold the moral 
responsibilities of individuals, societies and governments. Madam 
Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to recognize the importance of 
Holocaust Remembrance Day and actively rededicate ourselves to the 
principles of individual freedom in a just society and the need of 
respect for all people.

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