[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5246-5248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             THE HOLOCAUST

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the topic 
of my 1-minute.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Today, there was a Yom HaShoah service held in the United States 
Capitol, and they were held in State Capitals throughout the Nation. 
It's the remembrance of the Holocaust that occurred in Europe. Six 
million lives were lost.
  What the Yom HaShoah program is about is never to forget the 
Holocaust and never to forget what caused it to occur, to remember the 
outstanding military and people that helped Jews survive, the military 
that liberated the camps and the hundreds of thousands of righteous 
gentiles who helped and risked their own lives to save Jews. I wear a 
button for Raoul Wallenberg. The Swedish Government sent people over 
here, and he was a diplomat that saved 100,000 Jews, and they 
participated today.
  There was testimony about how Treasury Secretary Morgenthau and two 
people in his administration, Mr. Pehle and Mr. DuBois, implored the 
President to help rescue Jews, and they did so. Many, many were lost 
because we didn't get involved soon enough. Never be silent to evil and 
remember the victims of the Holocaust.
  I urge you to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with people in the 
U.S., in Israel and around the world in recognition of International 
Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day we honor the memory of the six 
million Jews and the many millions of others who perished during the 
Holocaust and we celebrate the strength and perseverance of the 
survivors. By stopping each year to recognize the significance of this 
day, we also rededicate ourselves to the principles of individual 
freedom and to a just society and we renew our pledge to Never Forget.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Yom Hashoah, 
or Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is the official Israeli Day of 
Remembrance for victims of the Holocaust. During the Holocaust, six 
million European Jews were systematically annihilated by the Nazi 
Regime. Today, I rise to pay tribute to those whose lives were 
irreparably affected by the Holocaust and to reaffirm my commitment to 
human rights.
  The extermination of the Jewish people during World War II is 
greatest crime against humanity committed by a nation state in the 
history of the world. The Holocaust was initiated by members of the 
National Socialist (Nazi) Party, led by Adolf Hitler, who took control 
of Germany in 1933 and began increasing assaults on the rights and 
properties of German Jewish citizens.
  During World War II, the Nazi party went even further and implemented 
their ``Final Solution'' which sought to eliminate the entire Jewish 
people. Of the nine million Jews who had resided in Europe before the 
Holocaust, approximately two-thirds perished. In particular, over one 
million Jewish children were killed in the Holocaust.
  Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed on the 27th day of Nisan on the 
Hebrew Calendar is observed internationally by the Jewish community. 
This day of remembrance was established in 1953, by a law signed by the 
Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, and the President of 
Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi. Although the date was established by the 
Israeli government, it has become a day observed by Jewish communities 
and individuals worldwide. Today, many commemorate Yom Hoshoah with 
candle lighting, speakers, poems, prayers, and singing. Often, six 
candles are lighted to represent the six million lives lost.
  Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day of public observance and 
education. Public observation is important because it serves as tribute 
to those who perished. It is up to us to learn and share their stories 
on their behalf.
  Further, the Holocaust was the ultimate disregard for human rights. 
Education is the best way to prevent these human rights abuses in the 
future. By encouraging educational programs about the Holocaust, we can 
help prevent future acts of genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in observing Yom 
Hashoah and in doing all we can to teach our children and future 
generations to work together to prevent bigotry, hatred, and prejudice. 
Let us commit ourselves to combating intolerance wherever it might 
exist.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the six million European 
Jews murdered by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Today, we join 
together to remember the victims who perished. We stand in solidarity 
with the people of Israel and around the world to honor Holocaust 
Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah.
  Six million Jews were killed at the hands of the Nazis as a part of 
the ``Final Solution'' to eradicate all of Europe's Jews, and countless 
others were brutalized, raped, dehumanized, and robbed. It is essential 
to listen and learn from the stories of the past, and to ensure that 
the experiences of the Holocaust are preserved as a permanent part of 
our history.
  Too many times in history, people have stood by and allowed the 
targeting, brutalization, and massacre of an innocent civilian 
population. The 2012 theme of these Days of Remembrance, Choosing to 
Act: Stories of Rescue, highlights the actions of several witnesses who 
risked severe punishment to help Jews to safety. These actions serve to 
remind us of the amazing power of individual choice to act in the face 
of injustice. The principle

[[Page 5247]]

``Never Forget, Never Again.'' is a commitment to fighting hatred, 
intolerance, and brutality through education, dialogue, and 
determination. We can honor those who died in the Holocaust by 
countering similar atrocities in the future.
  Holocaust remembrance is even more crucial today, given recent events 
in the Middle East and around the world. In the past year, there has 
been an increase in statements of holocaust denial throughout Europe, 
Asia, South America and the Middle East. The world has also witnessed 
an alarming increase in anti-Semitic attacks, coupled with harsh 
criticism of Israel that is tinged with anti-Semitism. As tensions 
escalate in the Middle East, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has 
alluded to the goal of the annihilation of Israel. It is continuously 
important to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, and to focus on 
the goal of achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.
  The annual Days of Remembrance are particularly meaningful to my 
community and to me, as a Jew. My district, the 9th Congressional 
District of Illinois, is home to one of the largest concentrations of 
Holocaust survivors in the country. Skokie, located in my district, 
attracted many Jewish families in the wake of WWII, and remains a 
vibrant Jewish community today. There are currently 1,000-2,000 
Holocaust survivors living in Skokie, and this community understands 
the importance of preserving memories and honoring history.
  In 2009, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie 
opened in Skokie, assisted by active involvement of the community, and 
welcomes over 250,000 visitors annually. The Holocaust Memorial 
Foundation of Illinois has been educating school and community groups 
since 1981, and due largely to these efforts, Illinois was the first 
state to make Holocaust education mandatory. This center for education 
and preservation of history was made possible by the hard work and 
dedication of the community, and its commitment to combating 
intolerance.
  Later this month, I will have the pleasure to visit with the 
remarkable students from McCracken Middle School in Skokie, who founded 
a student group to help prevent child labor around the world, Aiding 
Children Together, or A.C.T. On March 22, 2012, McCracken students 
involved in A.C.T. had the opportunity to visit the Illinois Holocaust 
Museum for their Student Leadership Day. The day included discussions, 
a chance to explore the museum, and then students were able to sit with 
survivors of the Holocaust at lunch and hear their stories. Students 
were deeply affected by guest speaker Nadja Halibegovich, and her 
account of living through the Bosnian War and genocide as a child. One 
student reflected, ``Just seeing all of the people who were killed in 
his horrible time just really made me want to push through, and make 
sure this would never happen again''. Another student mentioned, ``We 
should never forget what happened. I want to help and change the 
future; I won't be a bystander!''
  Throughout these days of remembrance, we look back on the atrocities 
of the Holocaust, and we honor and mourn those who perished. It is 
equally important to remember the survivors and to learn from their 
experiences. As we move forward, it is imperative to preserve the past 
and to continue teaching the history of the Holocaust. We must commit 
today to fighting hatred and indifference in a world where genocide is 
an ever-present problem.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today is Yom Hashoah U'Gvurah. It is a day 
to remember the Holocaust heroes and martyrs--those who fought and 
those who resisted; those who survived and those who perished.
  In Israel, the day is marked with the piercing wail of sirens that 
stops traffic and calls the nation to attention. Those sirens evoke the 
cries of loss, the cries of families torn asunder, the cries for 
vibrant Jewish communities reduced to memories and the cries of resolve 
that the State of Israel exists today as haven for Jews fleeing 
persecution.
  In the United States, Yom Hashoah is observed with events in cities 
and states around the country. This week, the L.A. Museum of the 
Holocaust held a Walk of Remembrance and a day of activities at its 
memorial in Pan Pacific Park.
  In Washington, DC, Yom Hashoah is commemorated as part of the Days of 
Remembrance sponsored by U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, 
DC.
  This year, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's events have the 
theme, ``Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue.'' It is especially 
appropriate as we mark the 100th birthday of Raoul Wallenberg, a 
Swedish Diplomat who used his post to save as many as 100,000 Hungarian 
Jews. His legacy is profound and this nation is proud to have made him 
an honorary citizen of the United States. With the Raoul Wallenberg 
Centennial Celebration Act that passed the House this week, he is also 
one of the next awardees of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.
  Jewish tradition teaches that for one who saves a life, it is as if 
they have saved the whole world.
  People like Wallenberg, Irena Sendler, Miep Gies and the thousands of 
others recognized by Yad Vashem as ``Righteous Among the Nation'' 
risked their lives over and over again for the Jewish people they 
saved. In doing so, they restored humanity in a place where there was 
no value for human life. They brought dignity to a time in history that 
is measured in shame. They helped save the world from being eclipsed by 
the evil of Nazism.
  It is an honor to rise and pay tribute to the survivors of the 
Holocaust, the rescuers, and the liberators. At a time when fewer and 
fewer survivors are alive to tell their stories, we must all bear 
witness to their tremendous legacy.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to solemnly recognize 
Holocaust Remembrance Day--Yom Hashoah. This date marks the anniversary 
of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when thousands of Polish Jews, faced 
with deportation and certain death, launched the first urban-uprising 
in Nazi-occupied Europe.
  Surprised by the makeshift, yet effective, resistance they 
encountered, German troops systematically leveled the ghetto building-
by-building and killed or deported to death camps tens of thousands of 
innocent men, women and children. We look back with sadness at the 
terror and despair these victims must have felt and with admiration at 
the courage and strength they summoned. And from their heroics, we are 
called to remember how much we lost, as well as what we gained, from 
this unprecedented tragedy.
  The Nazi killing machine slaughtered millions of people--law-abiding 
and productive members of society--because they were Jewish. We will 
never know what scientific discoveries these people or their children 
would have made, what businesses they would have started, what books 
they would have written, what music they would have composed and what 
trophies they would have won. Their loss has left a void not only in 
Europe, but throughout the world, and our lives are diminished because 
of it.
  Let us honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust by 
remembering their suffering and bravery, standing by our friend and 
ally Israel, and fighting for justice and peace.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust 
Remembrance Day. Each year on the 27th day of the Jewish month of 
Nisan, we remember the victims whose lives were destroyed, and who 
suffered unspeakable brutalities at the hands of their Nazi tormentors. 
We all know the number six million far too well, but we must always 
remember that each of those six million--along with so many others--was 
an individual whose life was snuffed out because of baseless, senseless 
hatred.
  We should also remember that the date for Yom HaShoah was also chosen 
to coincide with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, 
perhaps the most famous example of Jewish resistance to the Nazis. When 
the Germans came to liquidate the last remaining inhabitants of the 
Warsaw Ghetto in order to murder them at the Treblinka extermination 
camp, these brave, untrained, overmatched and starving souls fought 
back. Though they were ultimately crushed, they held out against the 
Nazis for nearly a month, forcing the German army to divert thousands 
of troops, as well as air force, artillery, armed vehicles, 
minethrowers, and machine guns in order to put down the rebellion.
  While the Holocaust is the greatest of Jewish tragedies, the Warsaw 
Ghetto Uprising stands as a moment of pride for the Jewish people, and 
a foreshadowing of the new Jewish spirit that would rise with the State 
of Israel just a few years later. Never again would Jews give up 
without a fight. With a state and an army, the Jewish people would 
finally have a refuge to run to in their time of need.
  While we commemorate the Holocaust today, I call on my colleagues to 
join me in re-affirming our connection to the State of Israel, and our 
responsibility to help Israel through its most difficult times. The 
Jewish State ensures the survival of the Jewish people in a dangerous 
and often anti-Semitic world, which is one of the many reasons we in 
the United States have stood by Israel for so many years and will 
continue to stand by Israel for as long as they need our help.
  The memory of the six million killed by the Nazis demands no less. We 
in Congress stand with the entire Jewish people in saying Never Again.

[[Page 5248]]


  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn recognition of 
Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today marks the passage of almost 70 years 
since the unfathomable annihilation of six million Jewish men, women, 
and children from Europe. In addition to working to systematically 
eliminate the Jewish people, the Nazis also targeted other marginalized 
groups such as political opponents, the LGBT community, the Roma, 
Soviet prisoners of war, the disabled, and other religious minorities.
  The effort to remove, wholly and completely, from society certain 
categories of human beings because of their ethnic, political, 
religious, cultural, and biological characteristics was atrocious. 
While we honor the memory of the millions lost during the Holocaust and 
the millions more who were never born because of this unparalleled 
crime against humanity, we must learn from the past in order to ensure 
that the worst actions in history are never again repeated.
  On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is important not only to 
commemorate those who perished, but also those who refused to be 
bystanders to this grave human tragedy. We may take heart from the 
brave efforts of those who resisted the Nazi reign of terror, in the 
ghettos and the camps, from the cities to the countryside. We stand in 
awe of the rescuers who, against all odds and at great personal risk, 
demonstrated moral courage the world must honor, remember, and uphold 
as a model for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.
  As individuals, communities, and as a nation, we must rededicate 
ourselves to ensuring that the world will never stand idly by in the 
face of mass atrocity. We must work to extinguish the sparks of hatred, 
intolerance, and violence wherever they may be found, while nurturing 
in ourselves and others the seeds of empathy and a resistance to the 
indifference that enabled the unthinkable destruction of human life 70 
years ago.
  Mr. Speaker, may we let this be our monument to the millions who 
perished in the Holocaust.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on Yom Ha'Shoah to honor the 
memory of the victims of the Holocaust. In the 1940's, the Nazi regime 
murdered six million innocent human beings in an attempt to wipe out 
the entire Jewish community.
  It is of the utmost importance that we continue to reflect upon this 
tragedy and teach our children about this horrific event, so that we 
fully understand the importance of embracing our common humanity, so 
that we recognize the universality of human dignity, and so that we 
prevent genocide from ever occurring again.
  In the first few years of the Nazi regime, Jews were harassed and 
humiliated in every imaginable way to tear away at their basic human 
dignity.
  This denial of their human dignity and humanity culminated in the 
death camps, where mass murder was accomplished with a factory-like 
efficiency that shocks the soul.
  Facing a totalitarian state intent on genocide and war, several 
Jewish underground organizations found the strength to create 
resistance movements. In the Warsaw Ghetto, these groups launched an 
uprising that lasted over a month against the entrenched Nazi war 
machine. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising inspired other uprisings across 
Europe, including in the Bialystok and Minsk ghettos and in the 
Treblinka and Sobibor death camps.
  The indomitable resilience of the human spirit was also demonstrated 
in the aftermath of the Holocaust when Jews recreated their lives, 
rebuilt their families and their culture. This rebirth is epitomized by 
the creation of the first independent Jewish state in our modern era--
the state of Israel.
  In Israel, Yom Ha'Shoah is marked by the sound of a siren, which 
calls for two minutes of silence. Two minutes when an entire country 
stands in silent reflection.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in observing the lives 
that have been lost, in honoring the survivors, and in recommitting 
ourselves to ensuring that such a tragedy is never repeated again.

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