[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING ERIKA FEIN ON HER 88TH BIRTHDAY FOR HER EXEMPLARY RESILIENCE 
                              AND STRENGTH

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                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2017

  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life of 
Erika Fein, a Holocaust survivor who turns 88 years old on August 11, 
2017. Her powerful story is an example of resilience, perseverance, and 
strength in character.
  Erika was born in 1929 in Yugoslavia, where she lived in a small 
village with her family. They were torn apart when Yugoslavia was 
invaded by Germany, Italy, and Hungary in 1941. Erika, her mother, and 
aunt were taken by the Nazis, and she never again saw her other family 
members. Over the next four years, she was kept as a prisoner in three 
different concentration camps. She was first taken to a German labor 
camp Guben, then shuttled to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Poland, and 
finally brought to Bergen-Belsen in Germany.
  During the last years of World War II, when she was just a teenager, 
Erika was forced to participate in a death march, where she ultimately 
lost her mother and aunt. The Nazi military organized large scale 
marches to move prisoners to different camps to evade suspicion of mass 
killings, and to erase any trace of evidence. Nazi soldiers subjected 
prisoners to starvation, dehydration, and humiliation during inclement 
weather. Not only did Erika survive these marches as a teenager, but 
she endured, despite being ripped apart from her family.
  While at Bergen-Belsen in Germany, Erika and the other prisoners were 
finally liberated by the British Armed Forces in April 1945.
  A few years later, Erika moved to the United States seeking a new 
beginning in pursuit of the American dream. She married her current 
husband, and they adopted a son. They later moved to Palm Desert, in my 
Congressional District, where they live today.
  Today, I am elated to honor her courage and dedication, as we 
celebrate her 88th birthday. Her story is a reminder that we must 
always be steadfast in the fight against intolerance, hate, and 
injustice. The hardships she overcame are unthinkable, but her strength 
is admirable. She is truly an inspiration.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the life of Erika Fein. On 
behalf of California's 36th Congressional District, it is with deep 
respect that I extend my best wishes on her 88th birthday. I wish her 
and her family all my best in the years to come. Happy Birthday Erika.

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