It is a great pleasure for me to be here today to honor some outstanding Germans who have made extraordinary contributions to preserving Jewish history, culture, cemeteries, and synagogues in their own local communities.

This year for the first time, January 27 is the International Day of Commemoration, as authorized a few months ago by the unanimous vote of the United Nations General Assembly. This evening's event is two nights earlier so that it will not conflict with Shabbat. This new Day of Commemoration has been memorialized for many years as the German Holocaust Memorial Day, and marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. This is the fifth year in which our awards have honored this special day. The Auschwitz liberation took place over 60 years ago, but the German people still feel compelled to remember the inhuman acts of the Third Reich. It would have been easier to avoid addressing the Holocaust, but most Germans today have demonstrated a responsibility to cope with their horrible past. Books and movies about the Holocaust are seen more frequently by Germans than in any other country.

The awardees this evening are outstanding examples of people who have taken a positive and constructive approach to memorialize the Jewish contributions and culture that once existed in their communities.

Finally there are signs that the rest of the world is recognizing Germany's efforts to overcome its Nazi history. In the past, the U.S. news media thoroughly covered neo-Nazi activities of a small minority, but until recently, it rarely has covered the responsible actions and positive values of the very large majority of German people. Now, as an example, a few weeks ago there was a page 1 article in a major American newspaper which is also my local newspaper, The Boston Globe. It is entitled, "Jewish Renaissance Takes Root" and quotes a number of Jews who have made a home in this country. One Jewish journalist who was born in Berlin said, "It's great to be a Jew in Germany. There's this feeling of a unique culture being reborn with more people in the synagogues, more Jewish artists, a sense, at last, that it's completely normal for Jewish people to be living and working here. That's something you couldn't say until recently." The Boston Globe article states further:

"The dark mid-20th century history of Germany is seared into every Jewish soul. But in a turnaround few would have imagined, Germany today boasts the fastest growing Jewish population in the world….Last year, twice as many Jews, 20,000, settled in Germany as in Israel." Another Jewish immigrant, a physician from Latvia, is quoted in the article as saying, "Our dream is also to make Germany a place where Jews and Jewishness can once again flourish. Against all odds, I believe that's starting to happen."

I expect many of you in the audience are saying to yourselves, "But that's seeing things through rose-colored glasses". There are still many problems for Jews in Germany. The skinheads and the neo-Nazis continue to exist, and synagogues and other Jewish sites are guarded continually by the police. Indeed, the Boston Globe reporter and the people he interviewed may have been overzealous in making a point, but as a person who has visited Germany frequently for the past 50 years, I can see the changes.

During my first brief visit in 1953, I changed trains in Cologne and saw a city which remained in ruins except for its grand cathedral. It was clear to me how much Germans, as well as Jews, had suffered as a result of Hitler's actions. In 1964 when I visited Germany, I wanted to see the Dachau concentration camp, but the road signs were misleading, and the people I asked for directions were uncooperative. But times have changed, and new generations who feel no personal guilt are saying, "Only if we fully understand the past can we contribute to a positive and vibrant future for our country."

I have visited Germany many other times, and as the years went by, saw many encouraging changes and a greater willingness to deal with the past. However, my genealogical trip in 1997 was really the precursor to starting these awards. All four of my grandparents were born in Germany in the 19th century. Even though my generation has lost the ability to speak in German, I retain much of my German heritage. Over the years, I have become interested in tracing my German roots and learning more about my family history. In the spring of 1997, I came here specifically to find out as much as possible about my ancestors.

As I traveled throughout the country, in each one of the communities where my ancestors had lived, I found many Germans who had committed themselves to investigating, recovering, restoring, and publishing things of Jewish interest in their own communities. This was a tremendous help in the search for my own roots. I was astonished by the number of people who had devoted themselves to such activities, and when I went home to talk with Jewish friends, I learned that my experiences were typical. Throughout Germany, there has been an extraordinary amount of volunteer work done by individuals who just think it is the right thing to do, and it is done with no expectation of reward or recognition.

For many years now, Germans have been addressing their past and dealing with it forthrightly. This has led to a valuable understanding of tolerance and human rights which goes far beyond what is prevalent in many other parts of the world. Today, the leaders and people of other countries could learn a lot from the German experience. Fear and insecurity are the breeding grounds for repression, removal of civil liberties and abandonment of the rule of law. It is easy for a strong and determined leader to head a country in a disastrous path.

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." Germany today has an acute national memory, resulting in an understanding of the danger signs of repression and totalitarianism. Germany's understanding of how to avoid the tragedy of the Third Reich is a lesson to impart to the rest of the world. I hope all of us learn from your country's experience.