Shalom. Thank you Carla for that warm introduction. It is a privilege to be included in such a meaningful event this evening. I am honored to join my good friend Abe Foxman in celebrating the third gathering of the Hidden Child Foundation.

I would like to take this time to personally salute each, and every one of you. You are all heroes. The bravery and courage you displayed in face of the most inconceivable cruelty is testament to your extraordinary inner strength. You were saved from the atrocities of the ghettos, concentration camps, and labor camps due to the courage of those who risked their own lives to save yours.

You however have endured a different kind of torture; separation from your families, most of whom you never saw again. Being forced to live a life that was not your own, stripped of your identity and robbed of your heritage.

The challenges you have overcome are unimaginable. The fact that you are here today, reclaiming the lives that were stolen from you, demonstrates your tremendous valor and fortitude.

Throughout our history, we have collectively and individually known and experienced the best and worst of humanity. We have known golden ages and times of calm and prosperity, as well as periods of oppression, hatred and destruction. We have survived due to the strength of our spirit and our eternal faith. Your stories of bravery and courage epitomize the passion of the Jewish soul.

When the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon, Jeremiah said
"Thus said the Lord:
A cry is heard in Ramah
Wailing, bitter weeping -
Rachel weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone."

We too refuse to be comforted. We too weep for the one million and a half children that were slaughtered by the Nazis. We will cry out for the lost souls, for the dreams cut short, for the families and generations that could have been but were not.

Jeremiah continues:
"Thus said the Lord:
Restrain your voice from weeping,
Your eyes from shedding tears;
For there is a reward for your labor
- declares the Lord:
They shall return from the enemy's land."

Your presence here tonight and the work of the foundation is indeed reward for your labor. You cannot be expected to stop shedding tears, but your survival, the new lives you have created, your families and communities, and your promotion and preservation of Jewish identity, religion and education is THE answer to all those who tried to destroy the Jewish people.

Jeremiah concludes:
"And there is hope for your future
- declares the Lord:
Your children shall return to their country."

You returned to your roots, your heritage, and your culture. One third of the members of the Hidden Child Foundation, and some of you here tonight have returned to our shared ancestral homeland, Israel.

Together we share a mission, not just upholding the security and well-being of Israel, but ensuring the future existence of the Jewish people. This can only be done through education. We have lost too many through persecution and destruction for us to lose future generations through assimilation and detachment from Jewish identity.

It must be a joint venture between Israel and the Jewish communities around the world, to make sure that every Jewish child receives a Jewish education with Israel at the center.

Israel is not only a Jewish State, but a state for Jews. We are all partners, whether through family connection, visitors, or by making Aliyah. We will be with you in your grief and your joy. And together, we will overcome and continue to build our great nation.