President Carter today named a commission and an advisory board of 51 distinguished Americans, Jewish and non-Jewish citizens, to recommend ways for the United States to honor the six million victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
A commission of 24 Americans and an advisory board of 27 others who will contribute scholarly expertise and community service will work to arrange the funding and an appropriate memorial to the victims. In addition, they will recommend ways for the United States to commemorate next April 28-29 as “The days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust.” In addition, the President has asked the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to name 10 members of the Congress, five from each House, to serve with the commission.
Carter, in marking the 30th anniversary of the birth of the State of Israel, announced last May 1 that he would name a commission for these purposes. On Nov. 1, he established authority for the commission by executive order. Legislation supporting the effort was sponsored by Sen. John Danfor (R.Mo.). Eli Wiesel, whose literary works mirror the world’s moral response to the Holocaust, is chairman of the 24-member commission. Rabbi Irving Greenberg of New York is the commission’s executive director.
April 28 and 29, 1945 were the days when American troops liberated the inmates of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. They are also the days when many are observing in remembrance of the Holocaust victims.
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