On the recordFebruary 17, 2011
I rise today to honor Gerda Weissman Klein, Holocaust survivor and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We tell ourselves never to forget, and we implore our children to do the same. But we cannot do it alone. We need to listen to those who remember not by choice, but because they can never forget what they saw and what they survived. With each passing year, fewer and fewer of these witnesses remain. Even fewer of them speak English, or live in America, where we can hear their stories first hand. And fewer still are like Gerda Weissman Klein. About a year and a half ago, Mrs. Klein and her son visited my office. I invited Senators Levin and Cardin to join me. I will always remember one observation she offered. I remember it because she didn't say it as though she were teaching a profound lesson, though it was profound. She said this: 'Surviving is an incredible privilege, but it is also a very deep responsibility.' It was beyond humbling--that someone could see what she saw and lose what she lost and endure what she endured, and still maintain such perspective, and feel such responsibility. Mrs. Klein continues to fulfill what she sees as her responsibility, sharing her story and teaching us about tolerance.
