By COLlive reporter
Photos by Peter Hamalgyi
“I reaffirm that we will do everything necessary so that something similar does not happen again,” stated President Dilma Rousseff at the ceremony marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January in Brasilia.
We are responsible for acting against all violence.
“Denying the Holocaust is an insult to the memory of all humanity,” she added at the memorial organized by the Jewish Confederation of Brazil (Conib), in partnership with the Israelite Cultural Association of Brasilia (Acib).
The event also paid tribute to war-time Brazilian diplomats Aracy Rosa, who worked in the consulate in Hamburg, and Luis Martins de Souza Dantas, the Ambassador to France, who saved hundreds of Jews by providing them visas to Brazil.
In his remarks, head of Conib Claudio Lottenberg praised Aracy and Souza Dantas for their courage to act on their beliefs and values, even when their government forbade their actions at the time.
Before 6 candles were lit in honor of the 6 million Jews killed, a prayer was said by Rabbi David Weitman, Rabbi of the Sefardi Community ”Beit Jacob Safra” in Sao Paulo.
Rabbi Weitman told the President and the crowd that the creation of the memorial day by the United Nations was important as memories begin fading away.
“When I grew up, we didn’t need such remembrances because everyday we saw the numbers on the arms of my grandfather or a neighbor,” he said. “Unfortunately, not everybody today in Brazil has met a survivor or has read about the Holocaust.”
Also present at the event were Israeli Ambassador Rafael Eldad, President of the Jewish Congress of Latin America Jack Terpins and the Shliach in Brasilia Rabbi Leib Rojtenberg.
Rabbi Weitman for the next Brazil’s President!
and brazil is the best place ever!!
https://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=11412
After a speech in front of the president, the next step should be the keynote speech by the kinus.
BEST PLACE EVER!!!!!!!
DOES IT TAKE THAT MUCH TO SUPPORT HOLOCAUST DAY!
It’s very important to have a good relationship with this woman, bessides being an very influential women in the world, she has a very strong influence over the nuclear bomb in Iran, and maybe can help Israel.
A sheine hadras ponim!!
an emmse shliach fun rebn
Good to see you, keep your amazing work that you doing in Brazil, a true Shliach of the Rebbe with a lot of Hatzloche.
Important to note that President Dilma, is one of the most influential women in the world elected by forbes magazine, good friends with are President Obama.
it`s so amazing to see shluchim who achieved a position like that, lubavitch is the best shluchim i love your guys!!!
This seems very choshuv!!
Nice to see a Shliach being invited to give a speech in front of the President.