[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 42 (Friday, March 8, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ARI HALBERSTAM AND THE JEWISH CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

  (Ms. CLARKE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, in light of the undeniable 
spikes in hate speech and hate crimes and conversations we have had in 
the House over the past few days, I rise today in memory of Ari 
Halberstam, a young neighbor of mine whose life was taken 25 years ago 
this week when anti-Semitic hatred morphed into terrorism.
  Tragically, on March 6, 1994, Ari passed away at age 16 due to 
gunshot wounds to the head after a terrorist attack on the ramp leading 
to the Brooklyn Bridge.
  Mr. Speaker, we must confront hatred in all of its manifestations, be 
it anti-Semitic attacks that took our beloved Ari's life or the hate-
fueled neo-Nazi march through Charlottesville that took the life of 
Heather Heyer.
  Devorah Halberstam, Ari's mother and my dear friend, is a crusader 
for justice and a forceful advocate in New York State for the passage 
of Ari's Law as part of a comprehensive gun control bill prohibiting 
interstate gun trafficking.
  Determined to bring about something symbolic of resilience, 
tolerance, and beauty, in 2004 Ms. Halberstam established Brooklyn's 
iconic Jewish Children's Museum in my district in memory of Ari. The 
award-winning children's museum is Ari's legacy. It is our legacy.
  The uptick in acts of anti-Semitism targeting Jewish communities are 
truly alarming, but must be confronted. Let us remember that these acts 
are in no way reflective of who we are as a Nation and/or our core 
values of tolerance, respect, and human decency.
  Let us celebrate Ari's life and legacy by coming together in respect, 
tolerance, and, above all else, love.

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