>> president trump spoke at an annual event at the capital to aunt honor the victims of the holocaust. members of congress and survivors took part in this one hour-long ceremony. [inaudible] ladies and gentlemen, tom bernstein, chairman of the united states holocaust memorial council. survivors of the holocaust museum, friends, distinguished guest, welcome to the ceremony in this magnificent rotunda.

some may ask why we remember the holocaust in this hall of democracy in the capital of the free world. for that matter, why is there holocaust museum on a national model? the answer lies in the fact that this great country was founded on an idea, one of the most consequential ideas in human history. that ideas represented in this majestic space and engraved one entrance of the museum where vendors sitters encounter some of the most important words ever written about our national values. and it begins, we hold these truths to be self-evident, the declaration of independence was perhaps the very first human rights proclamation in universal freedom was at the heart of our

democracy. this democracy is situated at one end of the mall and at the other end since the lincoln memorial. midway between is our museum. his lesson stand as a cautionary tale in stark contrast to the rest of the mall. as one u.s. senator said shortly after the museum opened, the washington monument has never looked quite so beautiful as it does now that it stands next to the holocaust museum. the holocaust teaches us that freedom is fragile and that each of us must be bit vigilant in protecting it. with freedom comes responsibility. why mark germany with an advance at educated nation with the constitution and free press, that is why the challenge of

civilization to that the nazis represented reminds us it is not enough to cherish our national ideals, we must be everywhere he of human nature and constantly work to advance those ideals. sometimes we must fight and sacrifice for those ideals, over 16 million americans fought in world war ii, more than 400,000 gave the ultimate sacrifice in order to defeat not season and fascism. as we watch the flag of each of the u.s. army division that liberated the concentration camp enter the rotunda, we remember the brave young soldiers who freed europe who ended the holocaust and preserved american democracy. to paraphrase general dwight eisenhower stunned reaction upon seeing the newly liberated camps it is important to know not only what we are fighting for, we must also know what we are

fighting against. so the young servicemen and women who will shortly present these divisional flags remind us of the catastrophic events of the past and the daunting challenges of the present. on this day of remembrance we remember the victims and we remember those who liberated them. we must also remember that today our world faces new threats and a new extremist ideology and that young americans are yet again on the front lines of freedom. thank you. [applause] >> a ladies and gentlemen, please rights for the presentation of the flags of the united states army liberating divisions followed by the national colors.

♪ ♪ ♪ first infantry division. 101st airborne division. second infantry division. eighty-second airborne division. fourth infantry division the 20th armored division. eighth infantry division 14th armored division.kaus up cans the 12th armored division

lawrenceburg. the 29th infantry division 11th armored division, the 30th infantry division. tenth armored division, longs burke. sixty-ninth infantry division 104th infantry division 71st infantry division 103rd infantry division, longs burke 80th infantry division 99th

infantry division 83rd infantry division 95th infantry division 84th infantry division 90th infantry division 86 infantry division 89th infantry division.

[inaudible] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> please remain standing for the presentation of the national

colors. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ oh say can you see ♪ by the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hailed ♪ at the twilights last gleaming ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ over the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪

[inaudible] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, ambassador ron drummer of the state of israel. [applause] >> distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and above all, the survivors and their families who are here with us today. this is the first holocaust remembrance day without the man who informed the world never to forget. le lose l's gentle voice are no longer here to remind us, to teach us, to challenge us, and

to inspire us. but his powerful words remain with us. perhaps most powerful of all was his insight that the opposite of love is not hate, but in different. like so much else during the holocaust, words like love, hates, and indifference took on a sharper meaning. the holocaust laid bare the unimaginable hatred of hitler, and all of those who ordered plans, and carried out the final solution. it unleashed the horrors of the gas chambers, the cruelty and the blood loss, willing executioners who filled mass graves across europe. but the holocaust also revealed

how deep the love of a parent, child, brother, sister, friend, neighbor, and even a stranger could be. there was a schindler, wallenberg. there was american prisoner for, master sergeant who, in a single moment of courageous to find save 200 jewish-american soldiers on their thousands more righteous among the nation who risked their lives to save jews. the holocaust also gave new meaning to the word, and different. in 1944 jewish leaders pleaded with the allied powers to bond the track to the death chambers. at a time when as many as 10000 jews were being gassed to death every day in auschwitz, a u.s. official infamously responded that such bombing quote might

provoke even more vindictive action by the germans. allied leaders knew of the holocaust as early as 1942. millions might have been saved had action been taken sooner. but action was not taken. the brave american soldiers who liberated concentration camps saved many thousands, but they arrived too late for many millions. ladies and gentlemen, much is unique about the holocaust. the holocaust is unique because all jews were targeted for extermination. and because that extermination was systematically plans and methodically executed, the holocaust is unique because this extermination was an end in itself and not nearly a means to an end.

and the holocaust is unique because of the unique hatred that it unleashed, hatred towards the jews that have proven so malleable and resilient across the ages and around the globe. but one thing is not unique about the holocaust, the world's indifference to suffering. the world that turned its back on the jews has also turned its back on many others. a world that promised never again to sit idly by set idly by in cambodia, in rwanda, sudan and elsewhere. history shows that indifference has been the exception not the rule. the exception has been decisions like the one president trump made to respond to a chemical attack by the assad regime against innocent men, women, and

children. that decision was a defiance of indifference. his evil triumphs when good men do nothing we should all seek to live in a world that defies indifference. those contemplating evil should know that they will face more than the soft power of self-righteous condemnation and feel-good hashtags. they should know that they will face the hard power of the civilized world prepared to use military might to confront barbarism. to those who argue that such action will not solve complicated problems, there is a simple answer. the fact that we cannot do everything is not an argument for doing nothing. or as my people said long ago, while it is not our responsibility to finish the

work, we are not free to -- from that work either. ladies and only, for the jewish people the indifference of the world during the holocaust must never be forgotten. we must remember that 75 years ago we were a stateless and powerless people who begged in vain for presidents and prime ministers to come to our rescue. we must remember that as the jews of europe were being cast into ovens, those fleeing had no refuge. we must remember that one and half million jewish children were murdered in an indifferent world. the jewish people must always remember, for then will better appreciate the meaning of israel, the country i'm privileged to represent here today. on holocaust remembrance day,

more than any other day, israel is the jewish people's defiance of an indifferent world. for 2000 years we prayed and dreamed to return to our homeland, restore our sovereignty and rebuild jerusalem. we kept the dream alive despite history throwing our way every evil under the sun. over half a century before the holocaust one force that propelled the modern zion was the determination to make that dream a reality in the world indifferent to anti-semitism. the holocaust, turn that determination into a sacred mission to define the world indifferent. establish a jewish state and secure the jewish future. for 69 years israel had defined

the world indifferent by gathering our exiles from the four corners of the earth. by transforming a barren land into a global, technological power, and by building a vibrant democracy that stands as a beacon of freedom, decency, and compassion in a dark and cruel region. above all, israel has defied the world's indifference by transforming a powerless people marked for annihilation into a sovereign nation capable of defending itself. so, today let us remember the love, the hate, and the indifference. what is he the words of leviticus. do not stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor. let us work for world that

defies indifference and may israel continue to defy indifference. on this day, above all days israel pledges to continue to stand strong and proud remembering the past, grateful for the present, and more determined than never to build a brilliant future. may the memory of the 6 million be blessed. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, sarah bloomfield, director of the united states holocaust memorial museum. [applause]

mr. vice president, distinguished guests and above all are very cherished holocaust survivors 38 years ago yesterday america's first national commemoration of the holocaust took place in this very rotunda on april 24, 1979 the idea to build a united states holocaust memorial museum was just that, i meean idea. at the time there is a presidential commission to study how her nation should remember the holocaust. the commission, which eventually recommended the creation of an educational museum in this commemoration was chaired by ellie was so he spoke at every single annual commemoration in

the early years and most recently in 2009. and now, ellie is gone as a tribute to his singular leadership and to all the survivors i would like to share with you selections from his remark of 38 years ago friend, what does one do with such memories of fire, with so many fragments of despair? how does one live in a world which witnessed the murder of 1 million children? those of us who were there haunted by those who lives were turned into ashes by those who cemetery was the sky. i belong to a traumatized generation jewish victim stripped of their identity and

disowned by the whole world, every occupied nation, every underground movement received help from london, washington, or moscow. not the juice they were the loneliest victims the world and kept silent. and yet, when the nightmare lifted there is no hate in the hearts of those who survive. only sadness. and paradoxically hope. for some reason they were convinced that out of grief and so much suffering a powerful message of compassion and justice would be heard and received they were convinced that after auschwitz nations would no longer wage war and

racism, anti-semitism, and class humiliation would be changed forever. they decided to hope not despair, their toast simoni -- they knew too well that hate is self debasing. instead of choosing a nihilism and anarchy, they chose to opt for man. instead of setting cities on fire, they enrich them. many went on to build an agent to dream of israel. they chose to remain human and to fight for human rights. for we have learned certain lessons. we have learned not to be neutral in times of crisis for neutrality always helps the aggressor never the victim.

we have learned that silence is not the answer. we have learned the opposite of love is not hatred but indifference. what is memory is not a response to and against indifference. so let us remember first taken ours they fought alone, they suffered alone, they lived alone, but they did not die alone for something in all of us died with them. today we pledge to ellie was out, for all the survivors and victims, we shall always remember for your sake and for

ours. [applause] >> ladies and gentleman, the president of the united states. >> thank you very much. thank you. friends, members of congress, ambassadors, veterans, and most especially to the survivors here with us today, it is an honor to

join you on this very, very solemn occasion. i am deeply moved to stand before those who survived history's darkest hour. your cherish residents transforms this place into a sacred gathering. thank you tom bernstein, alan holt, sarah bloomfield, and everyone at the holocaust memorial council and museum for your vital work and tireless contributions. we are privileged to be joined by israel's ambassador to the united states, friend of mine has done a great job and said some wonderful words. the state of israel is an

eternal monument to the undying strength of the jewish people. the fervent tree that burns in the hearts of the oppressed is now filled with the breath of life in the star of david waves atop a great nation, risen from the desert. to those in the audience who have served american uniform our country eternally thinks you. . .

whose courage still lights the path from darkness. though ellie's story is very well known by 70 people, it is always worth repeating. he suffered the unthinkable horrors of the holocaust. his mother and sister perished in auschwitz. he watched his father slowly dying before his own young eyes.

he lived through an endless nightmare of murder and death and he inscribed on our collective conscious the duty we have to remember that long, dark night though as never to again repeat it. the survivors in this hall, through their testimony fulfill the righteous duty to never forget, and engrave into the world's memory the nazi genocide of the jewish people. your witness of evil and what you saw is beyond description. beyond any description. many of you lost your entire family, everything and everyone you love, gone.

you saw mothers and children led to mass slaughter. you saw the starvation in the slaughter. you saw the organized attempt at the extermination of an entire people. , and great people i must add. you survived the ghettos, the concentration camps and the death camps and you persevered. you tell your stories. you you tell of these living nightmares because despite your great pain you believe in ellie's famous plea that for the dead and the living, we must bear witness. that is why we are here today, to remember and to bear witness, to make sure humanity never ever forget the nazis

massacred 6 million jews. millions more innocent people where imprisoned and executed by the nazis without mercy. without even a sign of mercy. yet even today, there are those who want to forget the past. worse still there are those filled with such total hate that they want to erase the holocaust from history. those who deny the holocaust are an accomplice to the horrible evil and will never be silent. we we just won't. we will never ever be silent

in the face of evil again. [applause] denying the holocaust is only wantin one of many types of anti-semitism that occurs all around the world. we've seen anti-semitism in university campuses, in the public square, and in threats against jewish citizens. even worse, it has been on display in the most sinister matter when terrorists attack jewish communities. or when aggressors threaten israel with total and complete destruction. this is my pledge to you, we will confront anti- semitism.

[applause] we will stamp out pressure, we will condemn hatred, we will bear witness and we will act. as president of the united states, i will always stand with the jewish people. i will always stand with our great friends and partners, the state of israel. [applause] so today, we remember the 6 million jewish men women and children whose lives and dreams were stolen from this earth. we remember the millions of other innocent victims, the

nazis so brutally targeted, and so brutally killed. we remember the survivors who bore more than we can imagine. we remember the hatred and evil that sought to extinguish human life, dignity and freedom. we also remember the lif light that shone through the darkness. we remember sisters and brothers who gave everything they love. survivors like him who carried his brother on his back and said i just couldn't give in. we remember the brave souls who banded together to save the lives of their neighbors, even at the risk of their own life. we remember those first

hopeful omens of liberation when at long last the american soldiers arrived in camps and cities throughout occupied europe, waving the same beautiful flags before us today. they were speaking those three glorious words, you are free. it is this love of freedom, this embrace of human dignity, the call to courage in the face of evil that the survivors here have helped to write on our hearts. the jewish people have endured oppression, persecution, and those who have sought and planned their destruction. yet through the suffering, they have persevered. they have thrived, and they have enlightened the world. we stand in all of the

unbreakable spirit of the jewish people. i want to close with a story enshrined in the museum that captures the moment of liberation in the final days of the war. it is the story of gerda klein , a young jewish woman from polan poland. some of you know her. her family was murdered by the nazis. she spent three years imprisoned in labor camps and the last four months of the war on a terrible death march. she assumed it was over. at the end, on the eve of her 2t birthday, her hair lost all of its color and she weighed a mere 68 pounds yet she had the

will to live another day. it was tough. or to later recalled the moment she realized her deliverance had arrived. she saw a car coming toward her. many cars had driven up before, but this one was different. on the hood, in place of the wretched swastika was a bright, beautiful, gleaming white star. two american soldiers got out. one walked up to her. the first thing gerda said was what she had been trained to say, we are jewish you know, we are jewish. and then he said, so am i. it was a beautiful moment after so much darkness, after

so much evil. as gerda took this soldier to see other prisoners, she had done something she had forgotten to expect. he open the door for her. ingrid is words, that was the moment of restoration of humanity of humanness and dignity and of freedom, but the story does not end there. as some of you know, that young american soldier who liberated her and who showed her such decency would soon become her husband. a year later, they were married. in her words, he open not only the door for me, but the door to my life and to my future. gerda has since spent her life telling the world of what she

witnessed. she, like those survivors, who are among us today, has dedicated her life to shining a light of hope through the dark of night. your courage strengthens us. your voices inspire us. your stories remind us that we must never ever shrink away from telling the truth about evil in our time. evil is always seeking to wage war against the innocent, and to destroy all that is good and beautiful about our common humanity. evil can only thrive in darknes darkness. what you have brought us today is so much more powerful than evil. you have brought us hope. hope that love will conquer

hatred, that right will defeat wrong, and that peace will rise from the ashes of war. each survivor here today is a beacon of light and it only takes one light to illuminate even the darkest space. just like it takes only one truth to crush 1000 lies and one hero to change the course of history. we know, that in the end, goodwill triumph over evil, and as long as we refuse to close our eyes, or to silence our voices, we note justice will ultimately prevail. today we mourn, we remember, we pray and we pledge never

again. thank you, god bless you, and god bless america. thank you very much. thank you. [applause] [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, alan holtz, vice chairman of the united states holocaust memorial council. [applause] >> think you mr. president. thank you mr. vice president. distinguished guests and of course our survivors, we come together to remember because the act of remembrance must not be about memory alone. it must also educate, it must educate and answer the question, why remember. it has often been said without understanding, our past, we diminish our capacity to confront the present and shape the future. for most of you here today,

the holocaust is the past. it is history. for the survivors, and for me, it is never past. it is always present memory. my parents, born in different parts of poland, managed to survive the holocaust. their survival, as was true of everyone survival, was miraculous. between the two of them, they experienced and endured many infamous sites. auschwitz, and other concentration camps. my father must've been a bold and gusty young man. based on advice from another prisoner who told him, tell them you have a trade.

he lied to the ss that he was a barber. my mother managed to stay with her two sisters throughout the ordeal. a miracle in itself. a bond of love and family that generated inner reserves of strength they desperately needed. my parents met in the chaotic moments of liberation, rescued by american gis from a german prison train, almost certainly dustin to a fate of death. seventy-five years ago, they were victims of the most brutal, systematic assault by any state, on any people in modern times. 1942 was a momentous year of history it began with a

conference outside berlin where a small group of mid- to high-ranking german officials met to plan the implementation of what they call the final solution of the jewish question. there were only 15 people at the meeting. imagine that. only 15 to plan the extinction of a people. the plan focused on the establishment of extermination centers, the most famous being ashley it's which began --dash also it's which began train schedules and contractors work constructing barrett' barracks and crematorium's,

most have not imagined what would soon befall them, nor could the world. by august of 1942, the u.s. government received the first authoritative information that the germans had developed a plan to murder every jew in europe. the state department had the report confirmed within three months, but unfortunately tried to suppress the information. when word did get out, thanks to people like rabbi stephen, some found it hard to believe, and sadly, even today, the shocking horror of it, the scale and scope, the unprecedented nature make the holocaust an easy target for the denial is him of anti-semites.

by the end of 1942, the germans and their collaborators had murdered almost 4 million jewish men, women and children and millions of others deemed undesirable based on the nazi, racist ideology. among those killed that year were probably my grandparents. i do not know. i do know that my parents taught me about survival, hope and resilience, about the possibilities of human nature and about the importance of memory. memory is part of a special bond that our family shares. they also taught me that memory is not enough. we must learn, we must reflect, we must question, and

above all, we must always act. thank you. [applause] we will now begin the candle lighting ceremony, and it will be my honor to invite holocaust survivors accompanied by members of congress to light the candle. we will be assisted in the ceremony by shira oden, a sophomore and a graduate of the museums youth leadership progra program, bringing the lessons home. inspired by her grandmother, a holocaust survivor and museum volunteer, shira hopes to

become a role model and leader among youth in her community. i would like to ask the senator to standby the first candle. the first candle will be lit by ruth bernstein and peter. ruth's family fled from berlin to amsterdam and eventually got out on the last ship to the u.s. her grandmother was denied a visa and was killed by the nazis. peter also born in berlin, fled with his family to vienna and then belgium and then france. his parents were murdered at auschwitz. may i invite senator chris coons to standby the second candle. the second candle will be lit

by on you and marcel driver. her family was deported from poland to a soviet forced labor camp, but they were eventually able to get to ukraine where they remained until the war. they were forced into the ghetto in poland. they later escaped to a nearby village where they were hidden by a ukrainian family. first in a stable and later in a home, they are both museum volunteers. >> senator patrick leahy, may i ask you to standby the third candle. it will be lit by rita rubenstein. rita was born in romania and was deported with her family

to a ghetto. later after bribing soldiers, they went to another ghetto and were helped by a local family until liberation. she was born and obtain false documents for herself and her two daughters. they always felt exposure until the end of the war. rita and helena are both volunteers at the museum. may i invite congressman david to standby the fourth candle. this candle will be lit by irene and manny. she was born in czechoslovakia after being forced into the ghetto. her and her family were reported to auschwitz where

her mother and for siblings were gassed. irene and her sister were selected for forced labor and survived the death march. manny and his mother were among a group of hungry and jews traded for trucks and material in negotiations between members of the jewish rescue committee. the group was diverted for six months and later they were able to get to switzerland. people volunteer at the museum. >> congressman royce, please standby the fifth candle. the fifth candle will be lit by esther and harry. esther was sent by her parents from germany to england on a candor transport. her family was the ported

through a camp in france and later her parents were sent to auschwitz and killed. harry was born in berlin, shortly before. [inaudible] harry and his family fled berlin to answer. they. he would be selected to forced labor and they moved to brussels where they went into hiding until liberation. harry and esther are also museum volunteers. i would like to ask congressman brad schneider to standby the sixth candle lit by marcel and ray. marcel and his family moved from paris to france after the french citizens ship of his romanian born parents were

revoked. his parents blended blended in with the local population, attended church and survived there until liberation. ray was born in poland, following the german invasion, rae and her mother escaped to a nearby ghetto and joined a group of partisans, surviving there until liberation. both marcel and ray volunteer at the museum. thank you all very much. [applause] [applause] [applause]

[applause] >> please rise for the prayer for the dead chanted by tom king, followed by a holocaust survivor from romania. they will lead us in reciting kaddish. coco -

[inaudible] ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [speaking in native language]

[speaking in native language] [speaking in native language] [speaking in native language] [speaking in native language] [speaking in native language] >> it please remain standing for the singing of the ham of the

partisans in the retirement of the flakes. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain by your seats until the president departs. [inaudible] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> this concludes our program. >> sunday and q&a, the house of

truth, half foundation of american literalism. we talk with an author about his group about a group of intellectuals, louis brandeis, and herbert hoover who met regularly in the early 1900s to debate politics in the future of the country. >> i think everybody with this house, frankfurter, race was not an issue for them. they cared about the rights of workers, it took oliver wendell holmes junior and some of his opinions including a 1922 case known as moore versus dempsey which found for the first time that the mob dominated trials of southern blacks violated the due process clause. that's the first time the supreme court struck down the conviction under the duke process clause. there is a huge moment and putting the trials in the air criminal trials.

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our bellringer's video clips or teacher favorites. short videos paired with the vocabulary and discussion that make the federal government and politics more assessable to your students. >> i love the bellringer's. sometimes i don't use them as bellringer's but i'll use them in conjunction with an activity were doing that day. as more of a wrap up. >> the new website is fabulous. my students use it regularly. it's so easy that they are working on clipping videos and making questions that they can design and turn into their own bellringer's. >> problem my favorite aspect is the deliberation stage. it's a perfectly set up ready to go classroom to liberation and discussion on a variety of topics that are current and relevant today. >> if you are middle school or high school teacher join thousands of fellow teachers across the nation as a member of c-span classroom. it is free and easy to register at c-span.org. if you register now you can get our free presidents of poster. a display of all 45 presidents. find out more at c-span.org/classroom.