Paying Tribute to the Victims of the Holocaust

Press Release

Paying Tribute to the Victims of the Holocaust

Sen. Voinovich was one of a handful of senators invited to participate in the Holocaust Days of Remembrance April 15 in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda. Stopping to remember those lost in the Holocaust is incredibly important to Sen. Voinovich, who feels we must all remember the atrocities committed during World War II to keep such horrors from ever happening again. The senator established a Holocaust remembrance ceremony as mayor of Cleveland, and while visiting Riga, Latvia, in 2009, he visited the Holocaust memorial site of the 1941 burning of the Riga Great Choral Synagogue. Sen. Voinovich laid a wreath to honor the hundreds of Jews killed at the synagogue during the first days of the German occupation of Riga. "The Holocaust is history's most gruesome reminder that, despite our best efforts to beat back the flames of bigotry and anti-Semitism, there are still those who would gladly stir the embers. When we link a phrase like "ethnic cleansing' with places like the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, we know that the fires of prejudice still smolder," Sen. Voinovich said at a 1998 Holocaust ceremony while governor of Ohio. It is vital for Americans to remember that our country's united opposition to tyranny and discrimination is woven into every stitch of fabric in our nation's flag. Sen. Voinovich believes we have a responsibility to instill upon future generations our principles of freedom by taking a stand against violations of our God-given rights. Much work still needs to be done to ensure the security of Jewish people, and the senator will continue to work for the needs of Israel and the Jewish community at home even after his time in Washington comes to an end.

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