[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10884]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                RECOGNIZING THE HEROISM OF BEN ZION COLB

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 7, 2015

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a true hero, Ben 
Zion Colb, and to thank him for his heroic efforts and great sacrifice 
in saving Jews in Poland during World War II. Ben Zion Colb went to 
great lengths to save his fellow Jews from extermination by the Nazis.
  Ben Zion's brave endeavor began when he sent a courier to escort his 
then-fiancee, Clara Lieber, from Poland to Slovakia, where the 
deportation of Jews had been temporarily halted. After succeeding in 
bringing Clara to safety, he realized he could use the same method he 
used to smuggle Clara across the border to help other Jews escape from 
Poland. With the help of his friend Rabbi Michael Weissmandl and a 
network of couriers, he succeeded in bringing most likely over one 
thousand Jews across the border. Ben Zion largely focused on the rescue 
of children, who came to be known as ``Ben Zion's Kinder.'' After the 
war, Ben Zion and Clara eventually made their way to New York, where 
they raised three children. Ben Zion passed away in 1973, but his 
inspiring legacy still lives on.
  I was fascinated to learn of the many documents that still exist, 
which detail the history of Ben Zion Colb's heroism. There are hand-
written and typed papers with names of people who were rescued. 
Sometimes these papers include dates of birth, where these individuals 
were from, where they crossed the border and in some cases the actual 
day they crossed. I hope these documents will continue to assist in 
locating those individuals who were rescued by Ben Zion Colb and help 
bring together families and their diverse histories.
  I want to properly recognize Ben Zion Colb's sacrifices and truly 
heroic efforts and to remind my colleagues that individuals such as Ben 
Zion serve as a reminder as to how one person can make a difference in 
the lives of many. Ben Zion Colb took it upon himself to save as many 
lives as possible during a time of great need and it is important that 
we strive to live by his example.

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