[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2370-S2371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                     HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2010

 Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to 
commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.
  This week, in America and throughout the world, Jews observed 
Holocaust Remembrance Day in synagogues, reciting prayers. Families 
gathered in their homes to light candles and remember those loved ones 
who perished. Young people listened to the stirring testimonials of 
grandparents and survivors of one of the worst atrocities committed by 
humankind. These rituals are recited each year in an effort to 
remember. But, also to ensure that we as a human race never forget.
  Florida has the largest number of Holocaust survivors in the entire 
country. Each time I visit the Miami Jewish Health Systems and other 
centers in our state, I am reminded of our solemn obligation to care 
for those survivors, whose numbers dwindle with each passing year.
  This week, we pause to remember those who lost their lives simply 
because of their faith and their heritage. We also remember others who 
suffered persecution and were murdered by the Nazis: Gypsies and Poles, 
the handicapped, gays and lesbians, political dissidents, prisoners of 
war, and the brave civilians who risked their own lives to save their 
neighbors.
  Last June, a lone gunman attacked the Holocaust Memorial Museum here 
in Washington. This morally depraved man shot and killed a guard and 
terrorized countless visitors before he was brought down. The shots 
were fired on the day the museum was scheduled to show a play based on 
the life of Anne Frank, a girl whose story serves as a disturbing 
reminder of the Nazis' campaign of terror and also the heroism 
demonstrated by a few decent people to protect those whose lives were 
in jeopardy.
  January 11, 2010, Miep Gies, the last of those who protected Anne 
Frank passed away. She was a woman who did not want to be called a 
hero, but it is her heroism that we must honor, remember, and pass down 
to future generations.
  A survivor recently informed me that on Holocaust Remembrance Day she 
wanted people to remember the kindness that she received during the 
Holocaust. She said that kindness helped her survive. Mr. President, it 
is amazing that survivors, when asked about a period of unimaginable 
horror, can recall sentiments of thanks and an appreciation for life.
  The good that individuals can do is not limited to the past. 
Americans today are continuing to help those survivors by documenting 
their experiences and educating our communities. This past January, I 
attended the 30th anniversary celebration of the Holocaust 
Documentation & Education Center. The center is in the process of 
creating the first South Florida Holocaust Museum. There is still great 
work to be done and I am proud of the Americans who are committed to 
this important effort.
  Congress also has a responsibility to ensure that the memories of 
those dark days are recalled to ensure that nothing like it happens on 
this Earth again.
  In respect for the victims of the Holocaust and surviving relatives, 
I introduced a resolution on restitution or compensation for property 
and other assets seized by the Nazi and Communist regimes in postwar 
Europe, in anticipation of the International Conference on Holocaust 
Assets that was held in Prague in June 2009. At this conference, the 
United States signed the Terezin Declaration, which among many 
declarations reminds us about the need to take care of Holocaust 
survivors' social welfare as they increase in age.
  I also introduced the World War II War Crimes Accountability Act to 
encourage foreign governments to prosecute and extradite wanted 
criminals, and to bring them to justice.
  We are in a race against time. Each year, more Holocaust survivors 
are laid to rest. Let us work together quickly to let them see a 
measure of justice done in their lifetime.
  Finally, our government has made solemn commitments in the past that 
the horror of the Holocaust will never be repeated. And yet we are all 
well aware of the grim stories of ethnic cleansing in the former 
Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the mass murder of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994, 
and the genocide in

[[Page S2371]]

Darfur. America must be a moral leader among nations in working to halt 
and prevent genocide.
  I urge President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and U.N. 
Ambassador Rice to continue the battle against ignorance, intolerance, 
and instability that contributes to genocide and to confront those 
governments that engage in genocide. America must make every effort to 
ensure that those who commit these horrific crimes face 
justice.

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