EMBASSY EVENTS 2007  

U.S. Congress Authorizes Spending for Jewish Museum in Warsaw

Department of State

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Support for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2007 on November 13, 2007 after several members of the House rose in strong support.  The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, and would need to pass the Senate before the being sent to the President to become law. The bill authorizes the Department of State to provide $5 million to the Museum, which will be constructed in the old Jewish Quarter of Warsaw, over an unspecified time period.  The bill's text notes that nearly 9,000,000 Americans are of Polish ancestry.  It goes on to state that at the beginning of World War II, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe and that Jews contributed to the culture of Poland for 1,000 years.  One member of Congress stated in his remarks that "a team of international experts has worked tirelessly to establish a Museum of the History of the Polish Jews … to preserve the history and culture of Jewish people in Poland over the last 1,000 years, beginning with their 11th century emigration from Western Europe to escape persecution in their vibrant community between the world wars.  "Passage of this funding by the US House is an important development. The Museum is a highly significant addition to the preservation of Polish history," Ambassador Ashe said.  

Full Text of bill:

SUPPORT FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - November 13, 2007)
[Page: H13539]
---
   
H.R. 3320

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Support for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2007''. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:

     (1) Current and future generations benefit greatly by visible reminders and documentation of the historical and cultural roots of their society.

     (2) It is in the national interest of the United States to encourage the preservation and protection of artifacts associated with the heritage of United States citizens who trace their forbearers to other countries and to encourage the collection and dissemination of knowledge about that heritage.

     (3) According to the 2000 United States Census, nearly 9,000,000 Americans are of Polish ancestry.

     (4) At the beginning of World War II, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe.

     (5) In 1996, Yeshayahu Weinberg, a founding director of Tel Aviv's Diaspora Museum and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, created an international team of experts with the goal of establishing a Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

     (6) The Museum of the History of Polish Jews will preserve and present the history of the Jewish people in Poland and the wealth of their culture spanning a period of 1,000 years.

     (7) In 1997, the City of Warsaw donated a parcel of land, opposite the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Memorial, for the explicit use for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

     (8) In 2005, the Government of Poland and the City of Warsaw agreed to provide 40,000,000 Polish zlotys for the construction of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

     (9) In 2005, an international architectural competition selected a Finnish firm to design the building for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
     (10) In 2006, the building for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews moved into the last phase of project design. 

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS.

     (a) In General.--Assistance provided by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State shall be made available to assist in the development of the permanent collection of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

     (b) Authorization for Assistance.--To carry out the purposes of subsection (a), the Secretary of State is authorized to provide $5,000,000, which shall remain available until expended, to the Museum for the History of Polish Jews.