June 18, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6605 Mr. KUCINICH. Then I yield 30 sec- cist dictators made bold claims of impending students circled the Embassy of the Soviet onds to my friend from New Jersey violence and we ignored them to our own Union to the sound of shofars, then moved on (Mr. ROTHMAN). peril. to the Department of State for a vigorous Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, the The world should not ignore these words of discussion, and finally arrived in Lafayette Park in front of the White House for a rally gentleman is afraid that because at an aggression. Today, we call on UN member na- addressed by Members of Congress and the anti- ‘‘World without Zionism’’ tions to call out Ahmadinejad, to condemn reading of an Appeal to Conscience; conference, Ahmadinejad said, ‘‘Wipe these statements, and to work together to pre- Whereas Birnbaum and his student steer- off the map.’’ We are quibbling vent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. ing committee organized approximately thir- over whether he said on another occa- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ty events in SSSJ’s first two years to awak- sion, wipe the Israel regime, Zionist re- question is on the motion offered by en the Jewish community in New York and gime off the map and on a third occa- the gentlewoman from California (Ms. beyond to the plight of Soviet ; Whereas Birnbaum’s important New York sion said, the world would soon see the WATSON) that the House suspend the marches and rallies in the 1960s were the in- destruction of Israel. The gentleman rules and agree to the concurrent reso- strumental precursors of the great Soli- thinks there is ambiguity there. lution, H. Con. Res. 21, as amended. darity events of the 1970s organized by the This is a regime in Iran sending The question was taken. Greater New York Conference on Soviet troops and equipment, killing our sol- The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the Jewry under the direction of Malcolm diers in Iraq, building nuclear weapons, opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being Hoenlein, the founding director; threatening to kill our number one in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Whereas Birnbaum has testified before ally, the State of Israel, and he doesn’t Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, committees of the House of Representatives want the U.N. to look into it to con- on that I demand the yeas and nays. and the Senate and the Helsinki Commis- demn them? I think the gentleman is The yeas and nays were ordered. sion; The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Whereas Birnbaum advocated utilizing eco- wrong. nomic leverage at a Congressional hearing as Mr. KUCINICH. If, in fact, that’s ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the early as May 1965; what he said, then of course the U.N. Chair’s prior announcement, further Whereas Birnbaum worked closely in the should look into it. But I think we proceedings on this question will be early 1970s with Senator Henry Jackson, who should look into whether or not he said postponed. introduced legislation linking United States that. And again, I offered to submit, f trade benefits and capital flow to the Soviet but was denied a unanimous consent, Union with increased Soviet emigration; HONORING THE LIFE OF JACOB the text of his speech, and a trans- Whereas Birnbaum was one of the most BIRNBAUM persistent of those individuals who fought lation by Nazila Fathi in the New York Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to for passage of the Jackson-Vanik amend- Times Tehran Bureau of the speech. ment to allow Soviet Jews and other East This is from the New York Times. And suspend the rules and agree to the reso- European Jews to escape oppression and reli- they certainly have never been accused lution (H. Res. 137) honoring the life gious, cultural, and communal extinction in of any kind of propaganda against and six decades of public service of the Soviet bloc; Israel. Jacob Birnbaum and especially his Whereas Birnbaum conducted a number of So I would say that it is important commitment freeing Soviet Jews from campaigns with Presidents and Congress for for us to look at this. And I don’t think religious, cultural, and communal ex- the protection of Soviet Jewish underground it is an unreasonable request that we tinction, as amended. self-education groups and organized a delega- The Clerk read the title of the resolu- tion of the Synagogue Council of America to should look at exactly what this person meet with the Deputy Secretary of State in said so we will know what the appro- tion. 1985; priate course of action is to take. The text of the resolution is as fol- Whereas Birnbaum received the Prophet in I stand for peace. I stood before this lows: Our Time Award in 1974 on the tenth anni- Congress and challenged the war H. RES. 137 versary of the SSSJ; against Iraq when very few people were Whereas Jacob Birnbaum was born on De- Whereas Birnbaum received the Yeshiva willing to do that because I questioned cember 10, 1926, and December 10 is Inter- University Community Service Award in 1988 whether or not Iraq did have weapons national Human Rights Day; and the Freedom Award in 2004 from the Whereas Birnbaum performed relief work Manhattan Beach Jewish Center; of mass destruction. I am questioning Whereas Birnbaum was honored in 2004 by whether or not this person is trying to with victims of Nazi and Soviet totali- tarianism from 1946 through 1951, then the Conference of Presidents of Major Amer- destroy Israel. If he is, then I certainly worked with the disintegrating Jewish com- ican Jewish Organizations on the 40th anni- support my friend’s concerns. munities of North Africa in the mid-1950s versary of the initiation of the Soviet Jewry Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, and early 1960s; movement; I am a proud cosponsor of to day’s resolution Whereas, in 1964, Birnbaum moved to New Whereas during the 1990s Birnbaum was en- which calls for the United Nations to take ac- York and founded the Student Struggle for gaged in a number of interventions in the tion to uphold one of its most important con- Soviet Jewry (SSSJ) on April 27 of that year; former Soviet republics of Central Asia, es- Whereas four days later Birnbaum orga- pecially Uzbekistan; and ventions—the Convention of Genocide. With Whereas Birnbaum continues to assist in- the violence of just a few years nized approximately 1,000 students who marched for four hours in front of the Mis- stitutions for the Jewish education of former behind them, the members of the United Na- sion to the United Nations of the Soviet Soviet Jews as part of his ‘‘Let My People tions in 1948 established a convention to pre- Union on May 1, 1964, to begin the direct ac- Know’’ campaign: Now, therefore, be it vent such atrocities from ever happening tion public struggle for Soviet Jewry; Resolved, That the House of Representa- again. Whereas the SSSJ utilized nonviolent tives honors the life and six decades of public There is much talk at the UN about pre- methods, including marches, rallies, publica- service of Jacob Birnbaum and especially his venting war and genocide but unfortunately tion of extensive educational materials, and commitment to freeing Soviet Jews from re- there is little action. The Iranian President has meetings with government officials, to orga- ligious, cultural, and communal extinction. called for a UN member nation to be ‘‘wiped nize and activate students to take direct ac- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- off the map.’’ Do we have any doubt that the tion in the cause of freeing Soviet Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain, utilizing ant to the rule, the gentlewoman from UN would sanction the Israeli Prime Minister if the slogan ‘‘Let My People Go’’; California (Ms. WATSON) and the gen- the positions were reversed? Whereas, on April 4, 1965, Birnbaum orga- tlewoman from Florida (Ms. ROS- The Iranian president and the Ayatollahs’ nized the Jericho March, in which students LEHTINEN) each will control 20 minutes. supreme wish is the destruction of Israel and encircled the Soviet Mission and sounded The Chair recognizes the gentle- all her people. They have not tried to mask shofars from all around the building and pro- woman from California. this goal—they doubt the holocaust of the past ceeded to rally at the United Nations; and make plans for a holocaust of the future. Whereas, on April 12, 1965, petitions were GENERAL LEAVE Ahmadinejad has even gone as far as spec- presented at the United Nations’s Isaiah Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask Wall; unanimous consent that all Members ulating that the collateral damage of attacking Whereas Birnbaum organized a Jericho Israel with nuclear weapons would be worth Ride to Washington, DC, on May 20, 1965, may have 5 legislative days to revise the cost to the Muslim world. For a regime where he and the first SSSJ chairman Rabbi and extend their remarks and include that is developing nuclear capabilities, these Shlomo Riskin met with senior Soviet dip- extraneous material on the resolution are truly dangerous words. In the 1930’s fas- lomat Anatoly Myshkov, and thereafter the under consideration.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 03:24 Jun 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K18JN7.084 H18JNPT1 hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSE H6606 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 18, 2007 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support devoted several years to providing re- objection to the request of the gentle- of Mr. NADLER’s resolution, House Res- lief for younger survivors of the Nazi woman from California? olution 137, honoring the life and pub- and Soviet totalitarian systems. There was no objection. lic service of Jacob Birnbaum and espe- Through his work with young Polish Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in cially his commitment to freeing So- Jews who managed to leave the USSR strong support of this resolution. I viet Jews from religious, cultural and after the war, he became familiar with yield myself as much time as I may communal extinction. the iniquities of the Soviet system. consume. For decades, Mr. Birnbaum has been These earlier experiences fueled his I would first like to commend our at the forefront of the nonviolent later passion to mobilize American distinguished colleague, Mr. NADLER of struggle for Soviet Jewry, establishing Jewry in the drive to rescue Jews from New York, for introducing this resolu- the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, oppression in the . tion. The resolution before the House and organizing marches, rallies and In the mid 1950s and early 1960s, he honors one man, but it also honors all publication of educational materials became involved in assisting people that he symbolizes in the name of aimed at freeing Jews trapped in the from the disintegrating Jewish commu- human rights and freedom of worship. Soviet Union. nities of North Africa caught up in the Before the Holocaust, the Jewish Mr. Birnbaum worked closely with struggles of the host countries for inde- population of the Society Union num- Members of the United States Con- pendence from France and in the perse- bered 5 million. After the war, only 2 gress, testified at congressional hear- cution of the Jews of North Africa million remained. The pain of these ings and consistently pushed for the after the independence of Israel. Holocaust survivors was compounded. United States to use our economic le- His activism did not end then. After They became the targets of a ruthless verage against the Soviet Union to traveling to the United States, he de- and systematic campaign to strip them pressure that country so they could cided to create a national student orga- of their communal rights and Jewish allow Soviet Jews and other East Euro- nization to activate the grass roots of identity. pean Jews to escape the oppression of a the American Jewish community. Set- This resolution pays tribute to a re- religious and cultural nature in the So- tling in New York, in 1964, he set up his markable man who stood up for these viet Union. Throughout the decades, first student committee. Then he con- victims of brutality. Jacob Birnbaum Mr. Birnbaum’s persistence and com- centrated on building a student core at launched an effort, which turned into a mitment to human rights and religious . Mr. Birnbaum groundswell, to protest the Soviet freedom have been invaluable in free- named the new organization the Stu- Union’s abhorrent efforts to extinguish ing Soviet Jews and preserving their dent Struggle for Soviet Jewry, known the religious, cultural and communal religious and cultural heritage. familiarly as the SSSJ. Finally, he called a national founding identity of the Jewish people. Mr. Birnbaum’s commitment to this meeting at on His movement began in 1964 as a cause has not diminished to this day. April 27, 1964, followed by a large stu- humble yet bold student group orga- He continues to help Jewish edu- dent demonstration 4 days later on the nized to march on the Soviet Union to cational institutions and former Soviet Soviet holiday May Day in front of the the United Nations. Over the years, the Jews even today. And Mr. NADLER’s Soviet United Nations Mission. The au- group conducted rallies in New York resolution before us honors Mr. thoritative Center for Jewish History and Washington, circulated petitions, Birnbaum and his years of public serv- has listed the demonstration as the be- and used every possible means to keep ice. I urge Members to support this im- ginning of the public struggle for the world attention on the plight of the So- portant resolution. viet Jews. This social activism snow- freedom of Soviet Jews. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the Many consider this action as the rea- balled into the solidarity marches of balance of my time. son to consider Mr. Birnbaum the fa- the 1970s that gathered millions of indi- Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 ther of the movement to liberate So- viduals to fight for the cause. minutes to the gentleman from New viet Jewry. Indeed, the evidence sup- Birnbaum also worked with the au- York (Mr. NADLER). ports this notion. Throughout the rest thors of the historic Jackson-Vanik Mr. NADLER. I thank the gentlelady of the 1960s, under his direction, the amendment to help free Soviet Jews for her support, and I thank Ms. ROS- Student Struggle continued working looking to emigrate. In this way, he LEHTINEN for her support. full time in response to the oppression Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my helped to elevate the movement so that of Soviet Jews. the U.S. Federal Government had to colleagues to join me in supporting As we know, the Bolshevik Resolu- pay attention and to act. But his dog- House Resolution 137, a resolution to tion in Russia led to the imprisonment ged and determined work continued, honor the life and six decades of public of Soviet Jews behind the Iron Curtain. even as the Soviet bloc crumbled and service of Jacob Birnbaum, known Jewish culture, Jewish religion and anti-Semitism flared in incidents more familiarly as Jacob Birnbaum, es- Jewish communal life were forcibly ex- across the region. Mr. Birmbaum con- pecially his commitment freeing So- tinguished under the Soviet regime, tinues to work with educational insti- viet Jews from religious, cultural and which also indulged in numerous anti- tutions for former Jews as part of the communal extinction. Semitic actions. ‘‘Let My People Know’’ campaign. It is fitting that Jacob Birnbaum was Even after Stalin’s death, the Soviet Through the years, Jacob Birnbaum born on December 10, which is also kingdom of fear abated only slightly. has received numerous honors for his International Human Rights Day. This The Cold War effectively continued to services to mankind. He deserves this past December, Mr. Birnbaum cele- cut off the Jews of Russia and Eastern further accolade on behalf of a grateful brated his 80th birthday. It is time for Europe from their fellow Jews in the Congress for engaging so energetically this body to honor the life and work, West, and almost all expressions of in a cause that we have long supported, the 60 years of public service of this re- Jewish religion and culture continued helping to free Soviet Jews from op- markable human rights activist. I am to be prohibited. pression and to help them thrive. very proud to call him a fellow New Nevertheless, expressions of outrage To Jews in Russia and the former So- Yorker. began to accumulate in the early 1960s, viet Republic, the name Jacob Jacob Birnbaum was born in Ger- with a few pioneers leading the way. Birnbaum refers not only to one dedi- many, and during World War II, his Shortly after the initial organizing by cated man but to the very cause of family fled the Nazis and settled in the Jacob Birnbaum, the major Jewish or- freedom itself. United Kingdom. Throughout the war, ganizations met in Washington, D.C., I support this resolution and urge my the Birnbaum family knew the plight and established the American Con- colleagues to do the same. of Jews, especially their own relatives, ference on Soviet Jewry. The SSSJ Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of under the Nazis. His personal experi- that Mr. Birnbaum had established my time. ence with the horrors of evil sparked functioned as its handbook said, to mo- Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I the activism of Jacob Birnbaum. bilize a tidal wave of public opinion. yield myself such time as I may con- Beginning in 1946, following the end After the mass arrests of young Jew- sume. of the war, 19-year-old Jacob Birnbaum ish dissidents on June 15, 1970, and the

VerDate Aug 31 2005 03:24 Jun 19, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K18JN7.053 H18JNPT1 hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSE June 18, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6607 death sentences handed down to them religious and Hebrew-speaking groups and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. in the Leningrad trial of December in the Soviet Union. ROS-LEHTINEN) for her leadership on 1970, the National Conference on Soviet Mr. Birnbaum conducted numerous this. Jewry was created. campaigns for their protection, enlist- Again, I urge all my colleagues to ing the aid of many Christian religious b 1700 join me in passing this resolution to denominations. These efforts reached a honor this work of this unique hero of The Greater New York Conference, high point when he organized and led a this century. under the direction of the then young delegation of the Synagogue Council of Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I activist Malcolm Hoenlein, initiated America to meet with the Deputy Sec- have no further requests for time, and the profoundly important Solidarity retary of State and the Department’s I yield back the balance of my time. Day marches, modeled after Jacob Human Rights Director, Warren Zim- Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no Birnbaum’s Jericho, Redemption, and mermann, in September 1985. further requests for time, and I yield Exodus marches and rallies of the Mr. Birnbaum’s vision was partially back the balance of my time. 1960s. Mr. Hoenlein is now the Execu- realized with Malcolm Hoenlein’s Soli- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The tive Vice Chairman of the Conference darity Rallies in New York, and, fi- question is on the motion offered by of Presidents of Major American Jew- nally, by the great national rally in the gentlewoman from California (Ms. ish Organizations. Of great significance Washington on December 7, 1987, on the WATSON) that the House suspend the was the creation in 1970 of the Union of eve of President Gorbachev’s meeting rules and agree to the resolution, H. Councils for Soviet Jews, a coalition of with President Reagan. Res. 137, as amended. non-established regional groups, under Finally, in 1990, the Kremlin con- The question was taken; and (two- the chairmanship of Dr. Louis Rosen- ceded to all the pressure and permitted thirds being in the affirmative) the blum, with whom Jacob Birnbaum a mass emigration, which has now to- rules were suspended and the resolu- worked for many years. taled more than 2 million people, about tion, as amended, was agreed to. Mr. Hoenlein has publicly stated that 1 million to Israel and 1 million else- A motion to reconsider was laid on he considers Mr. Birnbaum ‘‘the father where, mostly to the United States. the table. of the .’’ Simi- This was no small accomplishment. f lar statements have been made by And many people played a role in mak- other major public figures such as Dr. ing it happen. CALLING ON GOVERNMENT OF Meir Rosenne, who worked closely with In addition to the courageous work of UGANDA AND LORD’S RESIST- Mr. Birnbaum in the early formative Mr. Birnbaum, tribute ought to be paid ANCE ARMY TO RECOMMIT TO period of 1964 to 1967. Dr. Rosenne later to the many pioneers and the other na- POLITICAL SOLUTION IN NORTH- became Israel’s Ambassador to France tional organizations which fought so ERN UGANDA and then to the United States. Sir Mar- strenuously for the liberation of Soviet Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to tin Gilbert, the official British histo- Jews: suspend the rules and agree to the con- rian of Winston Churchill and his Morris Abram, U.S. Human Rights current resolution (H. Con. Res. 80) times, has made a similar statement. Commissioner; Dr. Moshe Deeter, the calling on the Government of Uganda In May, 1965, Mr. Birnbaum was the scholar whose research fueled the early and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) first person to testify before a congres- movement; former Justice Arthur to recommit to a political solution to sional committee on the importance of Goldberg; the distinguished theologian, the conflict in northern Uganda and to utilizing economic leverage on the Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Heschel; Senator recommence vital peace talks, and urg- Kremlin to secure the liberation of So- Jacob Javits; NASA scientist Dr. Louis ing immediate and substantial support viet Jews. When the late Senator Rosenblum of the Cleveland Committee for the ongoing peace process from the Henry Jackson initiated the legislation on Soviet Anti-Semitism; and Elie United States and the international which finally resulted in the passage of Wiesel, whose book, ‘‘The Jews of Si- community, as amended. the Jackson-Vanik Amendment in 1974, lence’’ was so influential. The Clerk read the title of the con- Mr. Birnbaum worked closely with the Many organizations also played an current resolution. director of Senator Jackson’s office, important role, and I will name them The text of the concurrent resolution Dorothy Fosdick, and, of course, with in my extended remarks. is as follows: his other aide, Richard Perle, who Following the collapse of the Soviet H. CON. RES. 80 played a major role in the initiation regime, Mr. Birnbaum spent a substan- Whereas for over two decades, the Govern- and development of the legislation. tial part of the 1990s in combating anti- ment of Uganda has been engaged in an The idea of placing economic pres- Semitic manifestations in former So- armed conflict with the Lord’s Resistance sure on Communist states to increase viet Central Asia, mostly in Army (LRA) that has resulted in up to emigration played a key role in soft- Uzbekistan, intervening through the 200,000 deaths from violence and disease and ening up the Kremlin regimes to make State Department and enlisting Mal- the displacement of more than 1,600,000 civil- possible the Soviet Jewry demand of colm Hoenlein’s aid in engaging the ians from eastern and northern Uganda; ‘‘Let My People Go.’’ For the first Uzbek Ambassador in Washington. Whereas former United Nations Undersec- retary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and time, there was legislation to put teeth In his 81st year, Mr. Birnbaum con- Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland into the previous congressional human- tinues to support groups engaged in the called the crisis in northern Uganda ‘‘the itarian resolutions. Jewish education of former Soviet biggest forgotten, neglected humanitarian From 1976 to 1986, Jacob Birnbaum Jews and their children. His dedication emergency in the world today’’; conducted annual Most Favored Nation to his beliefs remains as strong as ever. Whereas Joseph Kony, the leader of the campaigns, based on Jackson-Vanik, to For all these reasons, Mr. Speaker, LRA, and several of his associates have been pressure various countries, including the House of Representatives ought to indicted by the International Criminal Court Romania, to increase emigration and honor the life and six decades of public for war crimes and crimes against humanity, to release prisoners. He testified annu- including rape, murder, enslavement, sexual service of Jacob Birnbaum and espe- enslavement, and the forced recruitment of ally before both Senate and House cially his successful commitment to an estimated 66,000 children; Committees. freeing Soviet Jews from religious, cul- Whereas the LRA is a severe and repeat vi- In the latter 1970s, Mr. Birnbaum en- tural, and communal extinction. He is olator of human rights and has continued to larged his Soviet Jewry strategy. He a true hero. attack civilians and humanitarian aid work- expanded the slogan ‘‘Let My People I want to thank the gentleman from ers despite a succession of ceasefire agree- Go’’ by adding ‘‘Let My People Know.’’ California (Mr. LANTOS), chairman of ments; Let them know their heritage. The the Foreign Affairs Committee, for Whereas the Secretary of State has labeled Kremlin had pulverized Jewish reli- moving this resolution quickly through the LRA ‘‘vicious and cult-like’’ and des- ignates it as a terrorist organization under gious, cultural and community life, his committee. I would also like to the Immigration and Nationality Act; and, in the 1960s, the Soviet Jewish re- thank the gentlewoman from Cali- Whereas the 2006 Department of State re- sistance underground began to gen- fornia (Ms. WATSON) for managing the port on the human rights record of the Gov- erate Jewish self-education, cultural, consideration of this resolution today, ernment of Uganda found that ‘‘security

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