[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3089-H3090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ANTI-SEMITISM IS UNACCEPTABLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Houlahan). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the very concerning 
uptick in hate crimes against members of the Jewish community in recent 
weeks. To be clear, these incidents have not been isolated, and their 
sheer volume should frighten us all.
  We must do more to acknowledge these crimes against our Jewish 
brothers and sisters and ensure the perpetrators of these crimes are 
held accountable.
  Perhaps the most telling sign of how dangerous things have gotten is 
the statistical data. Those who clearly identify as Jews, with their 
garb and outward trappings, have been viciously and frequently 
targeted.
  According to the ADL, there has been an 80 percent increase in anti-
Semitic incidents in the United States. Some include Nazi propaganda in 
public parks and synagogues as well as suspensions in schools related 
to anti-Semitic attacks.
  In Lincoln, Nebraska, the South Street Temple was spray-painted with 
swastikas and racial epithets. In Omaha, about 75 headstones were 
toppled and more than $50,000 in damage caused at the Temple Israel 
Cemetery.
  I have repeatedly condemned this behavior and stand with Nebraska's 
Jewish community and all of those across the U.S. who have experienced 
similar situations.
  Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the most prominent 
leaders of the orthodox Jewish community, Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter, the 
son of Holocaust survivors who founded the Dirshu, the largest Torah 
organization in the world.
  Rabbi Hofstedter was compelled to come to Washington to address my 
colleagues and me about the very serious issues related to the safety 
and security of the State of Israel, including the hatred toward Israel 
that has manifested itself in many cases toward the entire Jewish 
people.
  I committed to Rabbi Hofstedter that we, in Congress, will do 
everything in our power to continue standing up for the Jewish people 
and ensuring their safety, from New York to Nebraska and all across the 
United States.
  During his address to my colleagues and I, Rabbi Hofstedter remarked 
that perhaps at no time since the 1930s have we found ourselves in a 
more similar situation. Jewish lives are being threatened both 
domestically and on a global scale. However, after watching the hate 
crimes against our Jewish brothers and sisters over the last few weeks, 
it is abundantly clear that the rabbi's words were sadly and tragically 
understated.
  It is time for all of us in Congress to wake up to the reality of the 
hatred that is being directed toward the Jewish people and ensure that 
``never again'' truly means ``never again.''
  Cowardice emboldens the enemy. What Rabbi Hofstedter and Dirshu 
represent is the true antidote to this venomous hatred that has been 
exhibited toward the community he leads.
  We must not buckle under fear but, rather, call out the haters and 
show that the Jewish people as a community will never stand down. They 
will continue to practice their Jewish heritage with their heads held 
high.
  Out of the darkness of the Holocaust, Rabbi Hofstedter decided to 
dedicate his life to reviving the levels of Jewish scholarship and 
education to the levels that were predating the Holocaust. As the son 
of Holocaust survivors, Rabbi Hofstedter's personal life's mission

[[Page H3090]]

that he has chosen to undertake and execute upon ought to serve as a 
source of inspiration for every Member of this legislative body. Just 
as Martin Luther King once said: ``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; 
only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do 
that.''
  I thank Rabbi Hofstedter for all that he and the members of the 
Dirshu continue to do to advance Jewish scholarship and education in 
the face of the evil that has been perpetrated on their community in 
recent weeks. May God bless them all. May God bless the United States 
of America.

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