Benjamin Berell Ferencz Post Office Building

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support and great pride in this legislation, H.R. 6116.

Lois Frankel) for any remarks she may have.

Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for their help in bringing this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with immense pride to support my bill to name a post office in Delray Beach, Florida, after Benjamin Berell Ferencz, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient, a man whose life was a master class in courage, justice, and humanity.

I am deeply honored to say that Mr. Ferencz was my constituent, who enjoyed the latter years of his life in a vibrant community of retirees called Kings Point, where he was not only a neighbor, but an inspiration to those who knew him.

The post office is situated in the very community where Mr. Ferencz and his neighbors lived, and it will stand as a daily reminder of his incredible life and legacy and bring much pride to the community.

Mr. Ferencz' story is extraordinary. He was the last living Nuremberg prosecutor when he passed away at the remarkable age of 103.

During World War II, Mr. Ferencz served in an antiaircraft military unit in the U.S. Army before being assigned to gather evidence of Nazi crimes. That assignment led him to witness firsthand the horrors of the concentration camp, where millions of Jews and others were systematically murdered. He later described that experience as having peered into hell.

At just 27 years old, with remarkable courage and resolve, Ben served as the chief prosecutor in one of the Nuremberg trials, what scholars have called the biggest murder trial in history. It was his first case as a lawyer, and he successfully prosecuted 22 high-ranking Nazi officials responsible for the deaths of over 1 million people.

His work set a global standard for justice and accountability and made clear that even the most powerful perpetrators of evil would face consequences.

His fight for justice did not end in the courtroom. For the rest of his life, he was a tireless advocate for global peace, for human rights, and the rule of law. He believed in building a better and more compassionate world where atrocities would never happen again.

Now more than ever, Mr. Speaker, his legacy calls to us because anti- Semitism is on the rise, with 2023 marking the highest recorded incidences in U.S. history.

The Jewish people and, indeed, all who value justice and tolerance are facing growing threats. Mr. Ferencz warned us that creating a world of tolerance and compassion would be a long and arduous task, and that task remains unfinished.

By naming this post office after Mr. Ferencz, we honor not only the man, but also the principles he dedicated his life to: justice, dignity, and the fight against hatred and division. It is a reminder for all of us to stand against the forces of hate and division and recommit to building a future defined by justice and humanity.

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel) for bringing this forward.

Mr. Ferencz was, indeed, a great lawyer, a great humanitarian, and a great defender of freedom and democracy. We are proud to be able to push this legislation forward.

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Mr. RASKIN. Manning).

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning), my colleague and, indeed, my cousin, for her thoughtful and eloquent remarks about Mr. Ferencz.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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