I am tremendously pleased to be here today to do my part in recognizing these very special Germans who have made extraordinary contributions to preserving Jewish history, culture and religious places in their own local communities. We had 30 very well qualified nominees this year, and the jury had great difficulty picking the five most worthy. Each awardee comes from a different region of Germany, and each has a very distinctive background. However, they all have demonstrated their devotion to preserving the memories of the former Jews of Germany. A full description of the outstanding work of each individual is provided in both English and German in the booklet each of you have received.

I first became aware of such activities when my wife and I visited Germany in 1997 on a genealogical trip to discover more about my roots - all four of my grandparents were born in Germany. In every community we visited, we found people who had done a variety of things to record and preserve the history of their former Jewish residents. When I returned home, I found that many other Jews had had similar experiences, and I felt that this fine work deserved appropriate recognition.

Because today is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I would like to review the historical significance of this day and the lessons we can learn. This is a most unusual holiday. Where else will a country memorialize a defeat? The German army was in rapid retreat, and the German government was to survive only a few more months. Sixty years later, the German people feel compelled to remember the inhuman actions of the Third Reich. The awardees here today, the German government, and most of the German people have demonstrated a responsibility to cope with their horrible past. It would have been easier to avoid addressing the Holocaust. As German people, you should be pleased that you have learned so much from the past. You do not shy away from examining how your nation could have become so barbaric during the Third Reich. Books and movies about the Holocaust are seen more frequently by Germans than in any other country. Today, the German people have gained a valuable understanding of human rights and civil rights far beyond what is prevalent in many other parts of the world.

Of course, this is not universal here, as you and others know from the resistance you have encountered - but look at the numbers. Two weeks ago, a couple of hundred skinheads marched through Magdeburg commemorating its devastation by Allied bombers 60 years ago, but over 1,000 Germans demonstrated against the neo-Nazis. A few years ago here in Berlin, a few neo-Nazis vandalized the Weissensee Jewish cemetery, but the following year on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, 200,000 Germans participated in a demonstration against fascism and anti-Semitism and marched from Centrum Judaicum to the Brandenberg gate. Unfortunately, in the American press, the cemetery desecration got a lot of coverage, and the demonstration and march almost none.

As an American, my first knowledge of the Third Reich was when, as a child, I got to know transplanted relatives who had difficulty learning a new language, understanding a new culture, and adjusting to a lower standard of living. My first brief visit to Germany was in 1953, when I had to change trains in Cologne, and I saw first-hand a city in rubble except for its cathedral, which was mostly spared. I began to appreciate that the Germans also suffered by following a leader who made them feel confident and full of pride, but had evil and despotic intentions.

One occasion that has especially stood out for me was when, 20 years ago, I visited Dachau concentration camp with a group of Jews and with a Catholic priest as guide. When we had completed the tour, he initiated a discussion of how this could happen in Germany, a country that considered itself highly cultured, well educated, civilized, respectful of law and order, and having a rich tradition and strong moral values. By the time we finished our discussion, it became clear that the breeding grounds for Hitler's rise to power were nurtured by hyperinflation followed by economic depression, unemployment followed by despair, plots by communists and anarchists followed by repression, anxiety and uncertainty followed by dehumanization of non-Aryans, fear and insecurity followed by a strong military buildup, a fake terrorist act followed by government seizure of extraordinary powers. Those were dangerous times when a strong leader appealed to people's fears of being attacked by terrorists and promoted pride and patriotism. In 1946, while in prison in Nuremberg awaiting trial, one of the top German leaders said:

Naturally the common people don't want war, neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.*

During the past year, this quote has been repeated by many American leaders. I was asked to read it at a peace service at my synagogue and later sent it to many of my friends. Too often throughout history, fear has trumped logic. We in the United States are grateful that our society is rooted in the core values of freedom and liberty. But the dangers very much remain of an anxious public looking for a strong and determined leader to take us through a time of fear and insecurity. We must remain ever vigilant of fundamental human values and world opinion. In 1933, just after Hitler came to power, our president. Franklin Roosevelt, in his first inaugural address stated, "...The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

The lesson for me of the Holocaust is, "Never again," not just in Germany, but in the entire world. Germany has the advantage that it has been and is dealing with its past. Although problems with neo-Nazis and anti-Semitism continue to exist here, the country has an acute national memory. It knows the signs of repression and totalitarianism, and it doesn't want to repeat them. Other countries that do not have this history may not recognize the danger signs as easily. Germany's lesson should be America's lesson. It should be Serbia's lesson and Sudan's lesson. We should include Burundi, Russia, Indonesia, and many other countries. The whole world can learn from Germany's history how to avoid the tragedy of the Third Reich. It is up to all of us to make certain that it is not repeated in the 21st century.

_______________________

*The person quoted was Hermann Goering, Hitlers designated successor. The source is Nuremberg Diary (Farrar, Straus & Co 1947), by Gustave Gilbert (an Allied appointed psychologist), who visited daily with Goering and his cronies in their cells, afterwards making notes and ultimately writing the book about these conversations - this one on April 18, 1946.