Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec at Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony

Coral Temple, Bucharest   January 27, 2025   Good morning, President Vexler, Prime Minister Ciolacu, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Serban, Ambassador Ben Dor, Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,   Thank you to the Federation of Jewish Communities and the Romanian Government for inviting me to this ceremony.  It is an honor to be here with you today in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Holocaust.   Eighty years ago today, Auschwitz was liberated, and the surviving Jews and Roma of Europe were freed from one of the most painful and horrific chapters in human history.    The United States honors and seeks a measure of justice for Holocaust victims, survivors, and their families, and for all victims of Nazi persecution.     We advocate for this through accurate commemoration and education about the Holocaust, and by supporting efforts towards restitution and compensation for property seized by the Nazis during the Holocaust.    The United States remains committed to combating the rise of antisemitism at home and around the world.    Holocaust denial and distortion are fed by rising nationalism and xenophobia in some countries.    We see Holocaust distortion in efforts to rehabilitate historical figures who helped to commit the crimes of the Holocaust.  There are those who downplay or ignore the role of local collaborators in helping to perpetrate the Holocaust.    But all countries, the United States and Romania included, need to face up to the reality of their history, both the good and the bad.   Accurate education and truthful commemoration of the Holocaust can teach new generations about the horrors to which unbridled antisemitism and hate can lead.      Learning about the Holocaust and sharing the testimonies of survivors reminds us to be vigilant about the current dramatically rising tide of antisemitism that threatens values we hold dear — pluralism, diversity, democracy, and respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.     In this context, I would like to highlight the heartening progress that Romania has made in expanding Holocaust education.    The introduction of a mandatory course on the Holocaust in high schools is an extraordinary accomplishment that will have a long-lasting impact for generations to come.  It serves as an example across Europe.   Similarly, the planned development of a Holocaust and Jewish History Museum in the heart of Bucharest will not only be a symbol of Romania’s continuing growth as a nation and a society, but also a foundation for national scholarship, public dialogue, and reconciliation.    I urge all parties involved to commit themselves to making this project happen.  This museum is needed now more than ever.   I would like to conclude by addressing the remaining Holocaust survivors, as well as the Jewish community.  You are close to our hearts.  Your enduring strength, spirit, and resilience – even in the darkest of times – strengthen and inspire us.    Thank you.   (Source: Public Diplomacy – Press Office - U.S. Embassy-Bucharest)