Holocaust Remembrance Day

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

Mr. DEWINE. Madam President, yesterday was Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Holocaust Remembrance Day is the day that has been set aside for remembering the victims of the Holocaust and for contemplating what can happen to civilized people when bigotry, hatred, and indifference reign.

Between 1938 and 1945, the Nazis murdered over 11 million people throughout Europe, 6 million of them Jewish. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember those who gave their lives because of their heritage, tradition, and beliefs. While the Jews of Europe were defenseless against the Nazi regime, many held on to their faith up until the last moments of their lives. Every year, on the Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember those who sanctified the name of God in the death camps, the ghettos, and elsewhere.

Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs on the 27th day of the Jewish calendar's month of Nissan. This year, that was yesterday. When it falls on a weekend, it is commemorated on the following Monday. The date also marks the anniversary of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943, which occurred 61 years ago to the day-April 19, 1943.

The Holocaust is not merely a story of destruction and loss. It is a remarkable story of the human spirit-of the life that flourished before the Holocaust, struggled during its darkest hours, and ultimately prevailed as the survivors and their progeny struggled to rebuild. Indeed, Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs just eight days before Israel's Independence Day. Today, in Israel, a morning siren sounds, stopping all activity-and people stand in honor of those who died. Indeed, people of all faiths around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting candles in honor of the Holocaust victims. Many hold name-reading ceremonies to memorialize those who perished.

It has been over 50 years since the last concentration camp was liberated and many of the Holocaust survivors are now succumbing to natural causes. It is our obligation to share their stories to ensure that this horrible tragedy never repeats itself. We must honor the lives of those who lived on and those who did not survive the Nazis and their murderous cohorts.

There are literally hundreds of excellent movies and documentaries on the events before, during, and after the Holocaust. They cover every possible topic from deepest tragedies to the pinnacle of one of the greatest forces of all-the human spirit. These films vary from Hollywood to amateur documentaries, and include the Shoah Foundation's valiant efforts to record living survivors. All should bear witness, so that this kind of inhumanity will never happen again. I also recommend visiting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum here in Washington. It is a unique treasure that serves as a soulful reminder of the events of World War II.

Finally, seek out those with personal or family knowledge of this enormous tragedy. Nothing can replace the power of the first person accounts from a survivor, child of a survivor, liberator of the camps, or member of the resistance. Their stories teach us all.