[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 60 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. Lautenberg):
  S. 900. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to award 
grants to educational organizations to carry out educational programs 
about the Holocaust; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Simon 
Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act. This important 
legislation would provide competitive grants for educational 
organizations to make Holocaust education more accessible and available 
throughout this Nation.
  I would like to commend my former colleague in the House, 
Congresswoman Maloney, for her leadership on this issue. I also want to 
thank my colleague from New Jersey, Senator Lautenberg, for agreeing to 
be an original cosponsor.
  This past Monday, we solemnly commemorated 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 oath to never forget, so this dark 
chapter in history will never be repeated.
  We must forever remember the approximately six million Jewish men, 
women and children, as well as 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. I could not think of a better 
namesake for this bill, Simon Wiesenthal, who honored the memories of 
those lost by dedicating his life to bringing those responsible to 
justice.
  Some people might ask why we need to learn more about something that 
happened over 65 years ago and an entire ocean away. The same critics 
might argue that anti-Semitism, while terrible, is a relic of the past 
that will never be repeated. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and 
we, as a Nation, must not ignore this appalling truth.
  Even to this day, we do not have to go half way around the world to 
find examples of intolerance and hate; rather we can look into our own 
neighborhoods and communities. According to the FBI, there were 1,376 
hate crimes motivated by religious bias in 2009. More than 7 out of 10 
of these crimes were perpetrated against Jews because of their 
religion. In fact, even in my own State of New Jersey, a State of 
immense diversity, tolerance and understanding, we have seen a number 
of incidents that tear at the fabric of our society.
  In July of 2010, a Rabbi and his 12 year old son were subject to 
anti-Semitic slurs from an unidentified man in a sedan as they walked 
towards their synagogue in Edison, NJ.
  A few days after, the Edison Police Department investigated a second 
anti-Semitic incident at a Lexus dealership where eight cars had been 
vandalized with swastikas.
  Last year in Chatham, New Jersey, anti-Semitic leaflets with the 
words ``Kill Jews'' were littered throughout the town. Local police 
found the culprit and arrested him. However, Chatham Township Police 
said they could only charge the offender with littering because he was 
not apparently targeting an individual.
  New Jersey college students at Rutgers University have also 
experienced this terrible discrimination on numerous occasions. This 
past fall, when a guest speaker came to present at a Jewish event on 
campus, he was continually harassed by a large group of students that 
shouted slurs and disrupted his speech several times. Since then, there 
has been an escalation of anti-Semitic incidents. One of which included 
a student event this past January that attempted to exploit the 
Holocaust and accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing. When students showed 
up in peaceful protest, they were charged an admission fee, while 
supporters of the event were admitted for free.
  These troubling events do not occur in a vacuum. They are fed by 
bigotry, hatred, and above all else: ignorance. This ignorance is 
fueled by provocative, dangerous, and bigoted rhetoric that both 
threaten the safety and well being of individuals, while also insulting 
the honor of millions of Jewish people. So called academics seek to 
rewrite history to minimize and spin the facts surrounding the 
Holocaust; the government of Iran has waged campaigns not just to 
rewrite, but to simply erase an inconvenient truth. This is not an 
academic issue shrouded in intellectualism; Holocaust denial is bald-
faced anti-Semitism, rooted in hate, and it has no place in our 
society.
  We cannot sit idly by and hope that time alone will heal these 
wounds. We must take proactive steps to ensure that our society may 
properly study and take lessons from the Holocaust. Holocaust education 
is essential for school children so that we may achieve this goal.
  Although some States now require the Holocaust to be taught in public 
schools, the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance 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.
  However, while much growth and healing have come about in the 66 
years since Auschwitz was liberated, there remains a significant 
barrier that we must break through. After 6 decades, many of our youth 
may view the Holocaust as an event that occurred in the distant past. 
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 
educational programs on the Holocaust 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.
                                 ______