[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 137 (Monday, September 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5259-H5263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING THE LIFE AND WORK OF ELIE 
                                 WIESEL

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 810) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives regarding the life and work of Elie Wiesel in promoting 
human rights, peace, and Holocaust remembrance, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 810

       Whereas Elie Wiesel was born in Sighet, Romania, on 
     September 30, 1928, to Sarah Feig and Shlomo Wiesel;
       Whereas in 1944, the Wiesel family was deported to the 
     Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland;
       Whereas in 1945, Wiesel was moved to the Buchenwald 
     concentration camp in Germany, where he was eventually 
     liberated;
       Whereas Wiesel's mother and younger sister, Tzipora, died 
     in the gas chamber at Auschwitz and his father died at 
     Buchenwald;
       Whereas Wiesel and his two older sisters, Beatrice and 
     Hilda, survived the horrors of the Holocaust;
       Whereas after World War II Wiesel studied in France, worked 
     as a journalist, and subsequently became a United States 
     citizen in 1963;
       Whereas Wiesel's first book ``Night'', published in 1958, 
     told the story of his family's deportation to Nazi 
     concentration camps during the Holocaust and has been 
     translated into more than 30 languages and reached millions 
     across the globe;
       Whereas Wiesel would go on to author more than 60 books, 
     plays, and essays imparting much knowledge and lessons of 
     history on his readers;
       Whereas in 1978, Wiesel was appointed to chair the 
     President's Commission on the Holocaust, which was tasked 
     with submitting a report regarding a suitable means by which 
     to remember the Holocaust and those who perished;
       Whereas in 1979, the Commission submitted its report and 
     included a recommendation for the creation of a Holocaust 
     Memorial/Museum, education foundation, and Committee on 
     Conscience;
       Whereas in 1980, Wiesel became the Founding Chairman of the 
     United States Holocaust Memorial Council and helped lead the 
     effort for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to 
     open its doors in 1993;
       Whereas in 1986, Wiesel and his wife, Marion, created The 
     Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in order to fight 
     indifference, intolerance, and injustice;
       Whereas Wiesel, dedicated to teaching, served as a Visiting 
     Scholar at Yale University from 1972 to 1976, professor at 
     the City University of New York from 1972 to 1976, and Boston 
     University from 1976 until his passing;
       Whereas Wiesel has received several awards for his work to 
     promote human rights, peace, and Holocaust remembrance, 
     including the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of 
     Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, the 
     National Humanities Medal, the Medal of Liberty, the rank of 
     Grand-Croix in the French Legion of Honor, and the United 
     States Holocaust Memorial Museum Award; and
       Whereas, on July 2, 2016, at the age of 87, Elie Wiesel 
     passed away, leaving behind a legacy of ensuring a voice for 
     the voiceless, promotion of peace and tolerance, and 
     combating indifference, intolerance, and genocide: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) extends its deepest sympathies to the members of the 
     family of Elie Wiesel in their bereavement; and
       (2) urges the continuation of the monumental work and 
     legacy of Elie Wiesel to preserve the memory of those 
     individuals who perished and prevent the recurrence of 
     another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance in any 
     manifestation, and to never forget and to learn from the 
     lessons of history.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, when Elie Wiesel passed away this past July, the world 
lost one of its greatest champions of human rights and a tireless and 
powerful force against tyranny, hate, and intolerance.
  This resolution honors Elie Wiesel's life, work, and legacy; extends 
our deepest sympathies to his family; and reaffirms his efforts to 
learn from the lessons of the past in order to prevent another 
Holocaust.
  I want to thank my good friend, my colleague, Steve Israel, as well 
as Patrick Meehan and my Florida colleague, Ted Deutch, for their 
leadership in bringing this resolution forward, as well as Chairman 
Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership in shepherding it 
through the Foreign Affairs Committee and now here to the House floor.
  I was proud to work with Elie Wiesel on a number of issues over the 
years, including raising awareness about the Holocaust and the rise of 
anti-Semitism, as well as other human rights issues, and I was honored 
to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama alongside Mr. 
Wiesel in the year 2007. Elie Wiesel had himself been awarded the Gold 
Medal in 1984, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nobel 
Peace Prize, and many other awards and honorary degrees.
  A survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Elie Wiesel helped reveal the 
ugly truth about the atrocities that took place at Nazi concentration 
camps, detailing his experiences in one of his best-read books, 
entitled, ``Night.''
  In that book, Elie Wiesel explained why he dedicated his life to 
Holocaust awareness, saying that to forget ``would be not only 
dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing 
them a second time.''
  Mr. Wiesel warned about what happens when the world is silent in the 
face of evil, saying that ``we must take sides. Neutrality helps the 
oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never 
the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.''
  Elie Wiesel was never afraid to interfere, raising his voice when 
others were silent in order to remind us, again and again, that human 
suffering, wherever and whenever it occurs, cannot and must not be 
ignored.

                              {time}  1415

  Whether it was genocide in Sudan, the plight of Tibetans suffering 
under the Communist regime in Beijing, or warning against the mullahs 
in Iran who continue to say that Israel should be wiped off the face of 
the Earth, Elie Wiesel was always there to speak out against tyranny. 
He was committed to ensuring that the oppressed and the suffering knew 
that they are not alone, that those without freedom, that those without 
human rights are not being ignored and are not forgotten by the outside 
world.
  Elie Wiesel's legacy will endure as a reminder that people must never 
be ignored, that we must learn from the past, and that we must never be 
silent. I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), my friend and the author of this 
resolution.
  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend from Florida 
(Mr. Deutch), who was an original cosponsor of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for her leadership 
and her support of this resolution, as

[[Page H5260]]

well as the chairman of the committee, Mr. Royce, for holding a markup 
on this and ensuring that it received a vote on the floor of the House. 
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Meehan) for being the lead original cosponsor of this bipartisan 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I introduced this resolution shortly after Elie Wiesel's 
passing because I wanted to ensure that my colleagues, my constituents, 
and citizens around the world would never forget the horrors of the 
Holocaust and the very special and unique legacy of Elie Wiesel.
  Mr. Wiesel's tremendous impact has reached millions across the globe, 
and I believe he truly is one of the most influential and important 
figures of our time, perhaps of all time.
  After surviving one of the darkest moments in history, he spoke up 
and offered a voice to the voiceless. He offered hope to people without 
hope. He spoke for the millions that we lost in the Holocaust, but also 
those who survived. He helped educate the entire world on the 
atrocities committed during the Holocaust, and he ensured, Mr. Speaker, 
that we would never forget.
  He was born on September 30, 1928, and in 1944 was deported, along 
with his family, to Auschwitz. In 1945, he was moved to Buchenwald, 
where he was eventually liberated.
  Unfortunately, tragically, many members of his family did not 
survive. His mother and younger sister died in the gas chamber in 
Auschwitz. His father passed away in Buchenwald. Only Wiesel and his 
two older sisters survived.
  He went on to become a journalist. He published his first book, 
``Night,'' in 1958. I have read it many times. Through the book, he 
tells the story of his family's deportation to the concentration camps, 
and he illuminated the unthinkable atrocities committed by the Nazis.
  He wrote the book not to reflect on the past, but to warn us about 
the future, to call out violations of human rights wherever and 
whenever they occur. And he didn't stop there. He published so many 
more books and plays and essays, and he helped all of us have a better 
understanding and learn from history.
  Mr. Speaker, he also helped found the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum 
and, along with his wife, Marion, created the Elie Wiesel Foundation 
for Humanity. Elie Wiesel was a true humanitarian, fighting against 
intolerance and injustice and leaving behind a legacy like no other.
  I met him personally several years ago. I will never forget that 
meeting. None of us should ever forget his meaning in the world.
  I am honored to have introduced this resolution in the House, and I 
know that my colleagues will support this measure in order to honor the 
life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), our esteemed chairman of the 
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I would begin by saying I appreciate the 
efforts of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel). I appreciate his 
work here for authoring this resolution.
  I think it, again, has been said, but his life's work, Elie Wiesel's 
life's work, cannot possibly be overstated. I think that for those who 
have called for us to remember, who have called for us to take action, 
no time is more probably important than today, when we see the anti-
Semitism, when we saw the attacks in Paris, when we see these 
attitudes. People say never forget. That is correct.
  Here are some of the words that he spoke when he was awarded the 
Nobel Prize in 1986. He said: ``I remember: it happened yesterday or 
eternities ago. A young Jewish boy discovered the kingdom of night.''
  I think he was 15 at the time that he was held in the Nazi death 
camps of Auschwitz and later Buchenwald, 15 years of age.
  He said: ``I remember his bewilderment,'' speaking of himself. He 
said: ``I remember the anguish. It all happened so fast. The ghetto. 
The deportation. The sealed cattle car. The fiery altar upon which the 
history of our people and the future of mankind were meant to be 
sacrificed.
  ``I remember,'' and he asked his father, `` `Can this be true?' This 
is the 20th century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes 
to be committed? How could the world remain silent?
  ``And now the boy is turning to me,'' he said later in life as he 
reflected on this. `` `Tell me,' '' he asks. `What have you done with 
my future? What have you done with your life?'
  ``And I tell him that I have tried. That I have tried to keep the 
memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. 
Because if we forget, we are guilty.'' If we forget, then ``we are 
accomplices.''
  So today, we honor his memory by committing to continue his work, to 
preserve the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, to protect 
oppressed minorities that face other genocidal campaigns, and to 
promote the eternal values of peace, of tolerance, and of understanding 
for future generations. By passing this resolution, the House will 
commit to uphold Elie Wiesel's pledge to never forget.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her work on this resolution 
with Mr. Steve Israel.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for 
moving this bill swiftly through the committee to the floor.
  I am proud and appreciative to have introduced this bill with my 
friends Congressman Israel and Congressman Meehan, my colleagues on the 
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council. It is a testament to Elie 
Wiesel's inspirational reach across our country that 158 of our 
colleagues from both sides of the aisle joined us as original 
cosponsors.
  In particular, I am grateful to my friend and colleague, 
Representative Ros-Lehtinen, for her commitment to all of the ideals 
that Elie Wiesel lived out.

  H. Res. 810 recognizes the incredible life of accomplishments of Elie 
Wiesel. Elie Wiesel was a legend, the kind of influential figure that 
changes people around him and leaves the world in a much better place. 
His story is taught in classrooms, his work is read by millions in 
dozens of languages, and his accomplishments are recalled in halls of 
governments around the world.
  He lived through one of history's darkest moments. He survived 
Auschwitz and Buchenwald, scenes of some of the manifestations of the 
worst evil of humankind in modern history, and he went on to become an 
acclaimed writer, human rights activist, and Nobel laureate.
  This giant of a man refused to stay silent as other atrocities took 
place around the world in the years following the Holocaust. From 
Rwanda to Kosovo, from Cambodia to Sudan, Elie Wiesel always spoke out 
because, as he put it, ``I swore never to be silent whenever and 
wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always 
take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence 
encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.''
  The last sentence reverberates loudly around the world today: 
``Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.''
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution is the least we can do to respect and to 
honor Elie Wiesel's memory, so let's do more. Over 70 years after the 
Holocaust, bigotry and prejudice continue to plague societies around 
the world.
  Anti-Semitism, the millennia-old hatred of Jews that spawned Hitler's 
Final Solution, can still be found today; anti-Semitism from Paris to 
Buenos Aires, from Malmo to Marseilles, to London, and anti-Semitism on 
the streets, online, and on college campuses.
  Time after time, Jewish communities around the world are forced to 
make a decision: Is it safe for me to send my children to a Jewish 
school? Can we walk to synagogue without fear of the heckling? And 
might it be time for me and for my family to move from our 
neighborhood, our community, or even our country because of the 
antagonism and hatred and violence that forces us to flee, like other 
times in Jewish history?
  I am proud of the bipartisanship that this topic receives from my 
colleagues and the widespread membership of the Bipartisan Taskforce 
for Combating Anti-Semitism, and I know that we will continue to use 
our platforms and

[[Page H5261]]

our tools to keep Jewish communities safe.
  But the intolerance that Wiesel spoke out against wasn't limited to 
anti-Semitism. His life's experiences compelled him to focus our 
attention on any part of the world where innocent people are being 
targeted.
  Five and a half years into the Syrian conflict, over 400,000 people 
have lost their lives; millions of others are displaced. Thousands of 
Syrian children born in the last 5 years now know only the life of 
living in a refugee camp or makeshift residences.
  I am hopeful that the recently announced ceasefire will hold; but 
there have been some egregious injustices done to innocent Syrians by 
both the Assad regime and radical terrorist groups like ISIS. We cannot 
allow these violations to go unpunished, and we must pay attention to 
these atrocities every day, not only on the days when painful images of 
young children dominate social media, whether a refugee washed ashore 
or a bloodstained boy from Aleppo who has known only war.
  Whether it is war in Syria, turmoil in South Sudan, systemic human 
rights violations in Venezuela or in Iran, or attacks on women and 
girls in too many places in the world, it is our duty to keep the 
attention and pressure on human rights violators and do everything we 
can to protect innocent civilians.
  We must commit ourselves to promoting tolerance, speaking out against 
injustice, taking action against bigotry in all its forms, and 
upholding and living out the principle that comes from the Holocaust: 
``Never Again.''
  Elie Wiesel did his part and changed our world. Let's elevate Elie 
Wiesel's memory and continue his work. Silence encourages the 
tormentor. Today we speak out.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for yielding 
to me. I rise in support of his resolution.
  Let me start by thanking my colleague and friend from New York (Steve 
Israel) for his hard work on this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, on July 2, a light went out of this world. Elie Wiesel 
was a champion of human rights, peace, and Holocaust remembrance. And 
though he is gone, his life and work and message are seared on our 
collective conscience.
  Born in Romania in 1928, he survived the Sighet ghetto, Auschwitz, 
and Buchenwald. He was inmate number A-7713, and his number was 
tattooed on his arm. His mother and sister died in death camps.
  When I was a little boy growing up in the Bronx, we had many people 
who were Holocaust survivors, and they had tattoos all over their arms, 
on the other side of their wrists. I remember that very, very vividly, 
and it is something that has been seared into my memory through the 
years.
  When Wiesel was liberated by the United States in 1945, he moved to 
France and then immigrated to America.

                              {time}  1430

  In 1955, while living in France, he wrote ``Night,'' the story of his 
experience with his father in the Nazi death camps, and this book 
became the foundation of Holocaust literature. I would advise everyone 
to read this book. He was one of the first to put pen to paper to 
chronicle his own view of the darkest chapter in human history.
  He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Upon giving him the prize, the 
Nobel Committee announced, ``Wiesel is a messenger to mankind; his 
message is one of peace, atonement and human dignity . . . Wiesel's 
commitment, which originated in the sufferings of the Jewish people, 
has been widened to embrace all repressed peoples and races.''
  Wiesel's advocacy for victims of oppression around the world was his 
most recent legacy. He championed the cause of saving Darfur. He 
defended the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. He was outspoken against the 
Iranian nuclear program, and he spoke out for people around the world 
who were being mistreated.
  Most recently, he dedicated himself to stopping the massacres of the 
Syrian people. He called for an international criminal trial against 
Assad, charging him with crimes against humanity. We on the Foreign 
Affairs Committee have seen documentations of those crimes against 
humanity of what Assad has been doing to his own people. Wiesel said 
that the public response to Assad's use of gas against the Syrian 
people was inadequate. I certainly agree.
  Elie Wiesel constantly reminded us that indifference to the suffering 
of others is what allows evil to take hold. We must all take it upon 
ourselves to live Wiesel's legacy.
  As was mentioned by my colleague before, anti-Semitism, once again, 
is rearing its ugly head around the world, and we have to speak out and 
condemn it and condemn all other kinds of discrimination as well. So 
never again--not to Jews, not to Syrians, not to African Americans, not 
to anyone.
  This resolution honors the legacy of Elie Wiesel and reflects our 
commitment to carry his work and his message forward. It is important 
that we come together on this.
  I remember when we had our annual Holocaust Remembrance services 
right in the Capitol discussing things with Elie Wiesel. We took a few 
pictures together. It is certainly something that I will cherish for 
the rest of my life
  So, Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to support this measure. I ask everyone to 
vote for it.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, through his writing, his work, and his life, 
Elie Wiesel helped the world know what transpired when Hitler tried to 
annihilate the Jews; and he lifted up the world in committing himself, 
and now all of us, to doing everything we can to ensure that nothing 
like that ever transpires again.
  I am so grateful to my friend, Mr. Israel, and to the other Members 
who coauthored this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I urge its passage.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as we have heard from every eloquent speaker before us, 
Elie Wiesel represented the best of humanity. He was someone who 
refused to allow human suffering to continue without protest, no matter 
the race, the religion, or the political views of the suffering. There 
you would always find Elie Wiesel's voice. He said: ``There may be 
times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never 
be a time when we fail to protest.''
  Elie Wiesel dedicated his life to ensuring that we learn the lessons 
of the past, that we remember atrocities like the Holocaust, and that 
we refuse to allow indifference to condemn the oppressed to a life 
without the world's assistance or solidarity.
  As we move to pass this resolution here today, Mr. Speaker, we 
reaffirm our commitment to Elie Wiesel's legacy to combating hate, to 
fighting against intolerance in all of its forms, and ensuring that we 
will never forget the consequences of indifference.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this important resolution, but I also 
urge my colleagues to take a moment to reflect upon Elie Wiesel's 
lifelong message and his mission. It is fitting that the House is 
acting today on this resolution honoring the life of this great man, 
Elie Wiesel, but later today will also be considering a resolution 
recognizing the plight of Holocaust survivors.
  The United States has a responsibility and, indeed, a moral 
obligation to fulfill this legacy. For too long we have allowed human 
rights to merely be an afterthought rather than a driving force in our 
foreign policy. We can do better, and we must do better. Let's do so 
with Elie Wiesel in mind.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to include the following remarks from Elie 
Wiesel:

       I remember: On April 18th, 1944 on a house to house 
     operation destined to rob all Jewish families of their 
     fortunes, a policeman and an elegantly dressed Hungarian 
     lieutenant entered our home in Sighet and asked for all our 
     valuables: he confiscated: 431 Pengos, our entire cash, 1 
     camera, my fountain pen, 1 pair of seemingly gold earrings, 1 
     golden ring, 1 silver ring, 3 ancient silver coins, 1 
     military gas mask, 1 sewing machine and 3 batteries for 
     flashlights.
       They dutifully signed a document, which I have in my 
     possession, and left for my grandmother Nissel's home, two 
     houses away.

[[Page H5262]]

       She was a war widow. Her husband, my grandfather whose name 
     Eliezer I try to wear with pride, fell in battle as a medic.
       In mourning, a profoundly pious woman, she wore black 
     clothes, rarely spoke and read Psalms uninterruptedly.
       A similar official document listed HER valuables . . .
       One Pengo, two coins, three smaller coins.
       And two pieces of 21-cm tall solid brass candlesticks. 
     That's all she possessed.
       Bureaucracy was supreme and eternal even then: whether 
     official murder or robbery, not fearing embarrassment or 
     retribution, everything had to be recorded.
       Why the Hungarian and German armies needed was her pitiful 
     life's savings and her Shabbat candlesticks to win their war 
     is beyond me. At times I am overcome with anger thinking of 
     the red coat my little 8-year old sister Tsipuka had received 
     for our last holiday: she wore it in Birkenau walking, 
     walking hand in hand with my mother and grandmother towards . 
     . .  A daughter of an SS must have received it as a birthday 
     present.
       Just measure the added ugliness of their hideous crimes: 
     they stole not only the wealth of wealthy but also the 
     poverty of the poor.
       The first transport left our ghetto one month later.
       Only later did I realize that what we so poorly call the 
     Holocaust deals not only with political dictatorship, racist 
     ideology and military conquest; but also with . . . financial 
     gain. State-organized robbery, or just money.
       Yes, The Final solution was ALSO meant to remove from 
     Jewish hands all their buildings, belongings, acquisitions, 
     possessions, valuable objects and properties . . . 
     Industries, art work, bank accounts . . . And simple everyday 
     objects . . . Remember: before being shot by 
     Einsatzkommandos, or before pushed into the gas-chambers, 
     victims were made to undress . . . Six millions shirts, 
     undershirts, suits, scarfs, pairs of shoes, coats, belts, 
     hats . . . countless watches, pens, rings, knives, glasses, 
     children's toys, walking sticks . . . Take any object and 
     multiplied it by six million . . . All were appropriated by 
     the Third Reich. It was all usefully calculated, almost 
     scientifically thought through, programmed, industrialized . 
     . . Jews were made to be deprived of their identity, and also 
     of their reality . . . In their nakedness, with names and 
     title and relations worthless, deprived of their self esteem 
     of being the sum total of their lives both comprised all that 
     had accumulated in knowledge and in visible categories . . .
       When the war ended, what was the first response to its 
     unspeakable tragedy? For us individual Jews, the obsession 
     was not vengeance but the need to find lost family members. 
     Collectively, in all DP camps, a powerful movement was 
     created to help build a Jewish State in Palestine.
       In occupied Germany itself, the response moved to the 
     judiciary. The Nuremberg Trials, the SS trials, the Doctors 
     trials. Wiedergutmachung, restitution, compensation: were not 
     on the agenda. The immensity of the suffering and the 
     accompanying melancholy defied any expression in material 
     terms.
       In liberated countries, in Eastern Europe, surviving Jews 
     who were lucky to return to their homes and/or stores were 
     shamelessly and brutally thrown out by their new occupants. 
     Some were killed in instantaneous pogroms. Who had the 
     strength to turn their attention to restitution?
       Then came the Goldmann-Adenauer agreement on 
     Wiedergutmachung. The first Israelo-German conference took 
     place early 1953 in Vassenaar, Holland. Israeli officials and 
     wealthy Jews from America and England allegedly spoke on 
     behalf of survivors, none of whom was present. I covered the 
     proceedings for Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth. I disliked what I 
     witnessed. I worried it might lead to precarious 
     reconciliation. It did. The icy mood of the first meetings 
     quickly developed in friendly conversations at the bar. Then 
     also, deep down, I opposed the very idea of `Shilumim'. I 
     felt that money and memory are irreconcilable. The Holocaust 
     has ontological implications; in its shadow monetary matters 
     seem quasi frivolous. In the name of Israel's national 
     interest, David Ben Gurion's attitude was, on the other hand, 
     quoting the prophet's accusation of David, `Haratzachta vegam 
     yarashta': should the killer be his victim's heir? Logic was 
     on his side, emotion was on mine.
       In the beginning we spoke about millions, at the end the 
     number reached billions. International accords with 
     governments, insurance companies, private and official 
     institutions in Germany, Switzerland and various countries. 
     In Israel, local industry benefitted from the endeavor. As 
     did needy individual survivors elsewhere too, including 
     Europe and America.
       Throughout those years, chroniclers, memorialists, 
     psychologists, educators and historians discovered the 
     Holocaust as their new field of enquiry. Some felt inadequate 
     and even unworthy to loon into mystics would call forbidden 
     ground, Having written enough pages on the subject, I confess 
     that am not satisfied with my own words. The reason: there 
     are no words. We forever remain on the threshold of language 
     itself. We know what happened and how it happened; but not 
     WHY it happened. First, because it could have been prevented. 
     Second, the why is a metaphysical question. It has no answer.
       As for the topic before us this morning. I am aware of the 
     debate that was going on within various Jewish groups on the 
     use to be made of the monies requested and received: who 
     should get how much: institutions or persons? The immediate 
     answer is: both.
       However, it is with pained sincerity that I must declare my 
     conviction that living survivors of poor health or financial 
     means, deserve first priority. They suffered enough. And 
     enough people benefitted FROM their suffering. Why not do 
     everything possible and draw from all available funds to help 
     them live their last years with a sense of security, in 
     dignity and serenity. All other parties can and must wait. Do 
     not tell me that it ought to be the natural task of local 
     Jewish communities; let's not discharge our responsibilities 
     by placing them on their shoulders. WE have the funds. Let's 
     use them for those survivors in our midst who are on the 
     threshold of despair.
       Whenever we deal with this Tragedy, we better recall the 
     saying of a great Hasidic Master: You wish to find the spark, 
     look for it in the ashes.
       (Prague restitution: unedited draft)
     Elie Wiesel.
                                  ____



    elie wiesel remarks, ushmm national tribute dinner, may 16, 2011

       I've always believed that a human being can be defined by 
     his or her openness to gratitude. For someone who has none, 
     something is wrong with that person. I believe in gratitude, 
     as a Jew, because in our tradition the first thing we do in 
     the morning when we get up is recite a prayer of gratitude to 
     God for making us realize that we are still alive.
       Listening tonight to all you said about my work, I wonder 
     whether words of gratitude are enough. Maybe I should compose 
     a poem, or sing a song. It is more than rewarding.
       Often my wife, the love of my life, and I discuss when I 
     have to travel somewhere. ``Look,'' she says, ``you are 
     getting older.'' She doesn't say ``old.'' ``Maybe you should 
     stop, it's enough.'' Then I try to make her realize that it's 
     never enough.
       And now, a story. And a poem. The poem was written by a 
     very great Israeli author called Uri Zvi Greenberg and the 
     poem, in Hebrew, is about Sipur al Na'ar Yerushalmi. This is 
     the story about a Jerusalemite boy who one day turned to his 
     mother and said, ``Mother, I want to go to Rome.'' And the 
     mother says ``What? You are in Jerusalem! Why do you want to 
     go to Rome?'' ``Mother, I want to learn something about Roman 
     culture.'' In the beginning she refused. Then she gave in, 
     but she said to him, ``Look my son, you go to Rome. Do you 
     know anybody there?'' ``No.'' ``What will you do in the 
     evening?'' He said, ``I don't know . . . I will go into the 
     field and lie down and sleep.'' And she said, ``Okay, but one 
     thing I want you to take from me: a pillow, and when you lie 
     down to sleep you will at least have a pillow under your 
     head.'' He did, and every day, he left Rome, went into the 
     fields, went to sleep, on his pillow.
       One night, the pillow caught fire. That night, the temple 
     of Jerusalem went up in flames. Can we live like that? That 
     an event which takes place thousands of miles away has such 
     an effect on us? That, I believe, is what the memory of the 
     fire is doing to all of us. It makes us aware of all those 
     who need us, all those who need maybe our words and 
     occasionally our silence--but I mean silence in the mystical 
     sense, not in a pragmatic situation when silence is 
     forbidden.
       What can we do with our memories unless these memories help 
     others in their lives, in their endeavors? There is so much 
     to remember. Sometimes it's not easy. Hegel spoke of the 
     excess of knowledge. We have another problem: the excess of 
     memory. It is simply too much, too heavy. We have here a man 
     whose name should be remembered: Mark Talisman. He was vice 
     chairman when I was chairman. I remember we spoke about it in 
     our meetings: whom are we to remember? Naturally, first the 
     Jews: they were the first victims, six million Jews. But we 
     must limit that memory, which means what? I came up with an 
     idea: that not all victims were Jewish, but all Jews were 
     victims. So that means, as Jews, because we remember our 
     Jewish tragedy, we make it more universal. That is the 
     definition almost of our Jewishness: the more Jewish the Jew, 
     the more universal the message.
       And we worked on it here, and then we said okay, we 
     remember the suffering, we remember the fire, but what about 
     the next step? What did those who survived do with their 
     survival? Their message is not a message of despair. It is a 
     message of hope. We taught the world how to build on the 
     ruins. Therefore, among the priorities that we had for this 
     project was actually to give the survivors their place of 
     honor in our society however we could, always for survivors 
     first, not only because what they could say no one else had 
     the authority to say, but also because they as human beings, 
     as fathers, grandfathers, had something to say again, and it 
     is almost impossible not to listen to them. And by the way, 
     what Mark tells me now: there are survivors . . . Now of 
     course many have done very well, and the fact is, what they 
     have done among you, what they have done here in the Museum--
     the role of the survivors not only morally but also 
     financially--is extraordinary. But there are survivors today 
     who are still living in poverty, and I believe that we in 
     this Museum should pay attention to that and do whatever we 
     can to help them. And naturally, more than anyone else, we 
     must feel empathy with those who suffer today, in Rwanda, in 
     Darfur, in Cambodia . . .

[[Page H5263]]

       I addressed the General Assembly, some ten years ago or 
     more. I gave my address, entitled ``Will the World Ever 
     Learn?'' and I came out with a very sad answer: ``no.'' 
     Because it hasn't learned yet. Had the world learned, there 
     would have been no Rwanda, and no Darfur, and no genocide, 
     and no mass murder. It hasn't learned, otherwise there would 
     be no antisemitism today. Antisemitism is the most 
     irrational, absurd emotion that one can encounter. Somewhere, 
     anywhere, there is someone who hates me, although he or she 
     never met me. He or she hated me before I was born, and here 
     it is, still practiced in certain places.
       But then because of our experience we must feel--and we 
     have felt--those who suffer today from all kinds of diseases. 
     Take children. What you said about my little sister is true: 
     I carmot speak about her without shedding tears. Because of 
     her, my major preoccupation are the children of the world. 
     Whenever I espouse a human rights cause it always has to do 
     with children. Every minute that we spend here tonight, 
     somewhere on this planet a child dies of hunger, of disease, 
     of violence, or of indifference.
       Life is not made of years. Life is made of moments. Sara, 
     you called them ``formative moments.'' I simply say moments. 
     At the end of my life, when I come to heaven, and there will 
     be a scale, my good deeds, my other deeds, it's not my years 
     that will be on the scale, but the moments. Some are good, 
     glorious. Others are less so. Nothing of my life in this 
     project--most of that experience was as rewarding. Every 
     moment has its weight, has its meaning, and has left its 
     legacy here in this extraordinary experience which the Museum 
     is for anyone who enters it.
       I remember during the inauguration, what President Clinton 
     mentioned. I turned to him and I said he must do something 
     about Sarajevo, about the tragedy in Bosnia. It was Clinton 
     who later on, on television, spoke about the role of the 
     citizen. And he simply said, ``you want to know what a simple 
     citizen can do? A simple citizen can change America's policy 
     in the Balkans.'' He turned to me and said, ``He did it.''
       What we can do with memory is of incommensurable 
     importance. We really can change the world. And so, for these 
     moments and for your kindness and for all the commitment to 
     remembrance which is the noblest endeavor a human being can 
     undertake: simply to remember the dead. To forget the dead 
     would mean not only to betray them but to give them a second 
     death, to kill them again. We couldn't prevent the first 
     death, but the second one we can, and therefore we must.
       And so, whenever we deal with memory, you should think that 
     the pillow under your head is burning.
       Thank you.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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