Congressional Record—Senate S4310

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Congressional Record—Senate S4310 S4310 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE April 27, 1999 places as Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and In his moving remarks at Temple ple to act ``normally'' while Jews, their Sudan that we have not learned the Beth Ami, Benjamin Meed, the Presi- neighbors for hundreds of years, burned and lessons of the past. dent of the American Gathering of Hol- died inside the Ghetto walls? But they were The ongoing campaign of violence not the only ones to ignore our plight. In- ocaust Survivors and a survivor him- deed, the entire world stood by. No doors and hate perpetrated by Slobodan self of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, were opened, no policies were changed to Milosevic and his thugs against the spoke eloquently before this assembly make rescue possible. Why? The question Kosovar Albanians is but the latest ex- of the importance of overcoming indif- cries out for an answer across the decades. ample of the campaigns of terror car- ference to genocide. Ben Meed has dedi- If only there had been a State of Israel ried out against innocent civilians sim- cated himself to working hard along sixty years ago, how different this story ply because of who they are. These peo- could have been. with many other survivors to ensure Tonight, we especially remember the pas- ple are not combatants and they have that the memory of millions is still sengers on the S.S. St. LouisÐmore than nine committed no crimesÐthey are simply with us, and I believe that the United hundred men, women and children. Robbed of ethnic Albanians who wish to live in States Holocaust Memorial Museum is their possessions, stunned and hurt during peace in their homes in Kosovo. But, a fitting and exceptional tribute to his Kristallnacht, and threatened with their because they are ethnic Albanians, efforts. In his words, the Holocaust Mu- lives, many of them were forced to sign they have been murdered or driven out, seum is ``the culmination of our devo- agreements never to return to Germany. Out their possessions have been looted, and tion to Remembrance.'' on the high seas, powerless to affect their outcome, these nine hundred people floated their homes have been burned. Many Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- between political infighting and immigra- more are hiding in the mountains of sent that Benjamin Meed's remarks at tion quarrels, both in Cuba and the United Kosovo, caught in a dangerous limbo, Temple Beth Ami be entered into the States. Their fates were in the hands of oth- afraid to try to flee across the border RECORD at this point. ers whom they did not know and with whom to safety and unable to go home. REMARKS BY BENJAMIN MEED they had no influence. Finally accepted by On April 13, we marked Yom It is a special honor to be among such dis- four European nations, many of these pas- Hashoah, the annual remembrance of tinguished colleagues, especially Rabbi Jack sengers were swept into ``the Final Solu- the 6 million Jews who were Luxemburg, vice chairman of the Wash- tion'' when Western Europe fell to Nazi Ger- ington Jewish Community Council and the many. Why were these nine hundred denied exterminated by Nazi Germany. People entry into this country? Why was this trag- around the world gathered to light can- Rabbi here at Temple Beth Ami; and Manny (Emmanuel) Mandel, chairman of the Jewish edy allowed to happen? dles and read the names of those who If only there had been a State of Israel Community Council's Holocaust Remem- died. Today, let us take a moment to sixty years ago! brance Committee. This year our commemoration falls within remember the victims of the 1915±1923 In this lovely new sanctuary that in itself the anniversaries of the discovery of Buchen- Armenian genocide, and all the other demonstrates the vibrancy of the Jewish wald concentration camp. On April 11, the community in our nation's capital, we unite innocent people who have died in the troops of the United States 6th Armored Di- with Jewish people everywhere to remember course of human history at the hands vision rolled into the camp, just one mile those who were robbed and murdered by the of people who hated them simply for outside Weimer, the birthplace of German German Nazis and their collaboratorsÐonly who they were.· democracy. They were followed by the 80th because they were born as Jews. Infantry Division on April 12, just 54 years f Tonight, as we come together, we remem- ago tonight. These were war-weary, war- ber the people, places and events that shaped HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE AT hardened soldiers, but none of their fierce our memories: Memories of our ``childhood,'' combat had prepared them for BuchenwaldÐ TEMPLE BETH AMI of our parents and siblings, of the world nor for the hundreds of other such camps Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I call which is now so far away. We remember the · that American and Allied soldiers came laughter of children at play, the murmur of to the attention of my colleagues the across in their march to end the war in Eu- prayers at Shul, the warm love of our family recent Community-Wide Memorial Ob- rope. servance of Yom HaShoah V'Hagvurah gathered for Shabbos meals. That world was We will always be grateful to these soldiers held at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville, shattered by the German Nazis' war against for their kindness and generosity, and we the Jews, while the world of bystanders Maryland. I had the privilege of par- will always remember those young soldiers around us was indifferent. who sacrificed their lives to bring us liberty. ticipating in this Holocaust remem- Our memories are full of sorrow. Our Many American GIs who saw the camps brance ceremony sponsored by the Jew- dreams are not dreams, but nightmares of join with us in declaring that genocide must ish Community Council of Greater final separation from those we loved. Parad- not be allowed to happen again. But despite Washington. I commend Temple Beth ing before us, when we sleep, are the experi- the echoes from the Holocaust, it hasÐin Ami for hosting this annual event and ences we enduredÐthe endless years of Cambodia, in Rwanda, in Bosnia, and now in the Jewish Community Council for pro- ghettoes, labor camps, death camps, hiding Kosovo. places where betrayal was always imminent; viding the community in Maryland and We remember and our hearts go out to the forests and caves of the partisans where those who are caught in the web of destruc- the Washington, D.C. area with so life was always on the line. And no matter tion. many valuable services year-round. where we were, we were always hungry. For many years, we survivors were alone The Holocaust represents the most Each of us has our own story. Fifty-five in our memories. We spoke among ourselves tragic human chapter of the 20th cen- years ago, during the Warsaw Ghetto Upris- about the Holocaust, because no one else tury when six million Jews perished as ing, I was in Krasinski Square, just outside wanted to hear our stories. Still, we believed the result of a systematic and delib- of the walls of the Ghetto. I usually spent that the world must be toldÐmust come to erate policy of annihilation. Holocaust my days in the zoo because I knew that the understand the significance of our experi- animals could not denounce me to the Ger- ences. remembrance is an effort to pay hom- man Nazis or to their collaborators. To the Slowly, acceptance of our memories age to the victims and educate the pub- animals, I was just another human being. beganÐat first, only by our fellow Jews, who lic about the painful lessons of this But on this Sunday, as an ``Aryan'' member realized that what we had witnessed was vi- horrible tragedy. of the Polish community, I went to church tally important to them. In time, other peo- As my colleagues are aware, this together with the Poles. ple began to understand the meaning and month marks the 54th year since the As we came out of church into the Square, consequences of our experiences. They lis- beginning of the liberation of the Nazi I heard the thunder of guns and the explosion tened. We survivors were no longer silent death camps in Europe and the 56th an- of grenades and I could see that the Jewish presences. We became the bearers of talesÐ Ghetto was on fire. It may have been a warm at once painful and precious. niversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Upris- Spring day, but I stood frozen. In front of us We survivors are now publicly bearing wit- ing. The occasion also is an oppor- in the Square, a carousel was turning around ness. We are offering challenges to the indif- tunity to remember the plight of the and around. The music attracted my Polish ference of Western governments, to the com- passengers aboard the S.S. St. Louis neighbors and their children. I watched in plicity of the Church, to the anti-Semitism who sought to rebuild their shattered disbelief as they flocked to the merry-go- of Christianity, and to the evil of the per- lives outside Europe. Most of the 937 round, indifferent to the tragedy so nearby. petrators, collaborators andÐnot the leastÐ men, women and children who fled Ger- With every cry for help from my Jewish peo- to the bystanders. The movement to remem- many on the St. Louis on May 13, 1939 ple, tears swelled in my eyes.
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