[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING

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                           HON. LOIS FRANKEL

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 19, 2023

  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a profound and 
significant event in history that demonstrated the extraordinary 
resilience and defiance of the human spirit in the face of evil, 
hatred, and genocide.
  In April of 1943, German forces entered the Warsaw Ghetto with the 
intention of relocating thousands of Jews to concentration camps, where 
they would face near-certain death. They were met by hundreds of 
courageous Jewish fighters, many of whom were just teenagers, who chose 
to stand their ground and resist despite having limited military 
training and weaponry. Led by the 24-year-old Mordecai Anielewicz, 
these brave individuals remarkably pushed back the Germans, forcing 
them to retreat outside the Ghetto wall.
  The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising became the first urban--and first Jewish--
uprising in German-occupied Europe, inspiring uprisings in other 
ghettos in the region. The Jewish fighters and their supporters held 
the Germans at bay for nearly a month, displaying unwavering courage 
and determination in their struggle for freedom and dignity. 
Eventually, the Germans burned the Warsaw Ghetto to the ground, killing 
13,000 Jewish men, women, and children, and sending the remaining 
survivors to death camps.
  Mr. Speaker, as we gather here today to remember and honor those who 
courageously stood against the overwhelming force of the Nazis, let us 
also reaffirm our commitment to the values of tolerance, justice, and 
human rights. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising serves as a powerful reminder 
of the importance of standing up against tyranny and oppression, no 
matter the odds, and highlights the power of unity and the indomitable 
will of the human spirit.
  Today, it is our duty to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are 
never forgotten, and that we pass on the stories of those who fought 
and resisted to future generations. I ask my colleagues in the United 
States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the remarkable 
bravery of these Jewish fighters, and in remembering their memory, we 
are reminded of the importance of remaining steadfast in our commitment 
to justice, equality, and the protection of human rights for all.

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