February 15, 2006
da Silva and Rabbi Henry Sobel
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said the world must remember the Holocaust with 'indignation' to keep from repeating the tragedy. "The shadow of this tragedy extends itself over all of mankind, which must commit itself to never forget one of the most tragic episodes in history," Silva said. The Brazilian president made his remarks at a ceremony at the Sao Paulo Jewish Congregation, held to commemorate the Shoah. Addressing some 300 people in the congregation's synagogue, Silva said that "we, our children, our children's children and all future generations must remember the Holocaust with indignation and prevent this heinous crime from repeating itself ever again. The efforts we must undertake to combat anti-Semitism, racism, intolerance and terrorism are small when compared to the price we will have to pay if we omit ourselves and not fight."
Henry Sobel, the congregation's chief rabbi, said blame for the Holocaust must be shared by "the governments, presidents, prime ministers and church officials who with their silence contributed to the biggest annihilation of human beings ever committed in history...Today, awareness of what took place is more essential than ever in view of the resurgence of anti-Semitism around the world," Sobel said. Also present at the ceremony was Sao Paulo's Roman Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who said: "We must never allow the memory of what happened to be erased. We can never let the Holocaust repeat itself."
