[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10404]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  10 YEARS OF REMEMBRANCE: THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2003

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay special 
tribute on the 10th anniversary of the United States Holocaust Memorial 
Museum. During the past decade, the institution and its dedicated staff 
members have worked tirelessly to promote remembrance of the Holocaust 
and to draw lessons for the future from this very dark chapter of 
mankind's recent history. When the Museum was dedicated and formally 
opened in late April 1993, this event culminated over 10 years of 
preparation that started in 1980 with the chartering of the institution 
by a unanimous Act of Congress. Recognizing the work of the Museum this 
week is very fitting, as it is the week of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a 
time for honoring the millions of Jews who died almost 60 years ago 
under Nazi tyranny.
  As set forth in its mission statement, the Holocaust Memorial Museum 
has become America's national institution for the documentation, study, 
and interpretation of Holocaust history, and is this country's memorial 
to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. The Museum and 
its International Archives Project focuses on all individuals who 
suffered during the Holocaust, in addition to the six million executed 
Jews, the horrific Nazi treatment of millions of Roma, disabled, 
religious and political prisoners, and prisoners of war. The Museum 
plays a critical role in advancing and disseminating information, 
documenting the historicity of the Holocaust, while also preserving the 
memory of individuals who suffered.
  While insuring that the lessons of the past will not be forgotten, 
the Museum has actively and creatively developed ways to work towards a 
better future. The institution's dedication to dealing with the horrors 
of genocide, whether in Nazi Germany, Bosnia, Rwanda or Cambodia is a 
critical part of the effort to mobilize international action against 
this plague on all humanity. The Committee on Conscience plays a 
particularly significant role in bringing timely attention to acts of 
genocide or related crimes against humanity.
  The Museum has rightfully become one of Washington's most revered 
attractions. The hundreds of thousands of visitors who have toured the 
Museum since its opening have left with an unforgettable experience and 
the opportunity to reflect on the deep moral questions stemming from 
the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Museum's research center has served 
as a critical resource for scholars who try to help us better 
understand the lessons of this terrible chapter of human history. The 
creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has also 
encouraged other countries to move to establish comparable institutions 
including, most significantly, in Berlin, Germany.
  The U.S. Helsinki Commission, which I co-chair, has worked with the 
Museum on several occasions, from pushing for the release of documents 
from the Romani concentration camp in Lety, Czech Republic, to urging 
Romania to give greater meaning to its stated commitment of rejecting 
anti-Semitism by removing Antonescu statues from public lands. In 
response to the alarming spike of anti-Semitic incidents found last 
summer in Europe, myself and other Members of the Commission have been 
very active in urging governments and elected officials to denounce the 
violence and ensure their laws are enabled to prosecute the 
perpetrators. In support of this effort, I have introduced H. Con. Res. 
49, urging, among other things, European states to ``promote the 
creation of educational efforts throughout the region encompassing the 
participating States of the OSCE to counter anti-Semitic stereotypes 
and attitudes among younger people, increase Holocaust awareness 
programs, and help identify the necessary resources to accomplish this 
goal.'' It is my hope that other countries will copy the unique and 
effective model of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  Congress has designated April 27th to May 4th as ``Days of 
Remembrance,'' when our nation will commemorate again the victims of 
the Holocaust. May we use this time of reflection that will reinforce 
our common determination to learn from history's harsh lessons.

                          ____________________