[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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