Senator Kahn’s statement is as follows:
Today, I am introducing a resolution marking the 64th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and declaring April 19-26 as Holocaust Remembrance Week in the state of Michigan. Let me remind you and the body that 6 million Jews were murdered and millions more, including Gypsies, the handicapped, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war, political dissidents, and priests suffered grievous oppression and death under that era of Nazi tyranny.
While Holocaust Remembrance Week is an opportunity for us all to remember the victims and honor the survivors of the Holocaust, it is also important that we applaud the brave heroes who risked and often lost their lives while saving others. It is crucial that we commemorate this event and observe it yearly. In doing so, we send a clear message to the world that the atrocities of the Holocaust will never be repeated.
American philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With that warning echoing in our ears, we must be vigilant and committed to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten. I encourage everyone to mark this important occasion.