Ladies and gentlemen i welcome you here today in new york city, especially our supporters and all those who will be watching including cspan that is going to be an exceptional discussion. This is a special gathering where we rightly celebrate the publishing of a unique book. A look at a colossal event from a fresh perspective and an opportunity to yet learn something new and profound about the Second World War. Or as Victor Davis Hanson has titled his acclaimed bestselling history, the Second World Wars. I am the Vice President of National Review and the trustee b1 b17 i didnt know they were serving alcohol. [laughter] on the trustee of National Review institute and i do this on behalf of my fellow trustees some here today some of the board is here and president of the institute, lindsay craig. [applause] National Review was founded in 1991 by one by William F Buckley junior and a journalistic think tank established in advance the conservative principles with the National Review magazi
Routine basis know paul well. Hes been our fearless leader for the past several years in helping to direct the symposium. Because of that, i feel like no introduction is needed. That old canard, but in pauls case, its really true. Ill just say that he comes to us from the university of saskatchewan to give you a sense of how far hes come to be with us today. Hes there on a professor, visiting professorship on human rights. And hell be speaking on a nation of immigrants, the keynote, of course, is an opportunity to look at the theme in a broader sense. So hes going to be laying the groundwork for everything were going to be discussing tomorrow, and i hope youll all come back if you can tomorrow as well. One last thing before paul comes up to the podium. We have a special lunch program, something we dont do typically. Were going to have a speaker join us during lunch period tomorrow. So we can keep people in the room, but have boxed lunches to make that easy for you. And i think youll re
Jewish community. Up to 1924, Ultra Orthodox Jews generally chose not to come to the United States. There were even rabinic rulings in europe discouraging jewish immigration to america. It was very simple. If you come to america, it will be better for your body. It will be worse for your soul. And your grandchildren will be gentiles. And they said dont come to america. And as a result, the ultra communities did not. After world war ii, though, the surviving ultra communities did. In part, they came here because they were either nonzionist or antizionist and didnt want to go to israel. So they come here. And that population today is what is changing the americanjewish community more than anything else because of their extreme birth rate. I would invite anyone to take a tour of borough park or flatbush in brooklyn, by zip code, they have the highest birth rates of any place in the United States. And if there is retention over generations, the prediction is somewhere around half of the am
Colonial period to modern day. This event is part of a twoday u. S. Capital Historical Society symposium. Its about an hour and 15 minutes. The keynote opening this particular symposium. We have paul finkelman. Those of you who come on a routine basis know paul well. Hes been our fearless leader for the past several years in helping to direct the symposium. Because of that, i feel like no introduction is needed. That old canard, but in pauls case, its really true. Ill just say that he comes to us from the university of saskatchewan to give you a sense of how far hes come to be with us today. Hes there on a professor, visiting professorship on human rights. And hell be speaking on a nation of immigrants, the keynote, of course, is an opportunity to look at the theme in a broader sense. So hes going to be laying the groundwork for everything were going to be discussing tomorrow, and i hope youll all come back as you can tomorrow as well. One last thing before paul comes up to the podium.
Holocaust as a cultural category, nevertheless was a soldier on behalf of the distressed. Were bringing mikes, so, and if youll let me know what my time frame is. This may be too narrow a question, but ill ask it anyway. So, i saw on cspan a while back interviews with bernard ferrenz, who was with the army and worked with Holocaust Survivors getting restitution. I wondered if you were familiar with his work and if that was connected at all with the congressman . No, i didnt see that. Its fascinating. Fascinating. I know the harrison report alone. Okay. Maybe you could tell me what fascinating. He has his own story, jewish background, and very unhappy being a private in the army when he was an attorney and all those and really singlehandedly, there was one other individual in the army who when they went into the camps tried to maintain all of the documentation so that they could pursue. And he followed up at nuremberg. Very, very interesting interviews. Documentation was key. I should h