For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 18, 2004
Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush to the International Lion of Judah Conference
Washington Hilton Hotel Washington, D.C.
1:08 P.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: I always like being introduced by somebody who has the
same accent I do. (Laughter.) Thank you very much, Esther. Thank you
for your kind words, and thank each and every one of you for the very
warm welcome. And special thanks to Susie Stern, to Sandy Cahn, and to
Janice Stolar, and Michele Rosen for organizing this impressive
gathering of women. And thanks to Mark Wilf for his leadership of the
United Jewish Communities.
I'm happy to be a part of this dialogue -- and, standing backstage,
I realized this really is a dialogue. (Laughter and applause.) And to
be here with so many smart, savvy, powerful women. You have to wonder
what the guys are doing without us right now. (Applause.)
As prominent women in business and philanthropy and public life, I
imagine that all of us have been subject to a few stereotypes. I was
reminded of that recently when I received some letters from a group of
kindergarten students. Their teacher had asked them to write about what
they thought my responsibilities were every day.
A little girl named Shelby wrote that I "help the President with
his paperwork and then help him clean his office." (Laughter.) "I
take care of him when he's sick and put cold cloths on his head." I
didn't have to say that was only after the first debate. (Laughter.)
But Shelby wasn't the only child to be concerned about the
President's health. Megan said that as First Lady, "I feed the dogs
and I plant the daffodils and I do the President's speeches when he
isn't feeling well."
On the other hand, Todd -- who seems to have an eye for fashion --
thinks that there's more manual labor involved in my job. He wrote
that I "wear pretty suits and I shovel the snow and feed the birds."
(Laughter.)
Of course, what I really get to do are events like this, where I
get to meet remarkable Americans who are changing our world. President
Bush and I appreciate all that you do to make a difference in your
communities and our country. The sisterhood of the Lion of Judah is
one of the most influential groups in philanthropy. You teach us that
although one person alone can't do everything, 1,400 strong can do
anything. (Applause.) And you show the world exactly what women can
achieve with faith, with hard work, and a whole lot of chutzpah!
(Laughter and applause.)
This year, all of America commemorates the rich history of the
Jewish people and the many contributions Jewish Americans have made in
shaping our nation. Three hundred and fifty years ago, Jewish families
first arrived in our young country. Many of these early settlers were
women. And as they established new homes, they also established a
community rich in the traditions of their faith. They embraced their
new freedoms, but they never forgot their heritage.
We've all benefited from the women who blazed a trail before us.
Women like Rebecca Gratz, who established the first Hebrew Sunday
School, which was run entirely by women. She devoted her entire adult
life to the under-privileged of Philadelphia, especially to the women
and children. Or author Emma Lazarus, who wrote powerful essays
arguing against anti-Semitism and for the rights of immigrants. Her
words -- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free" -? have become America's call to those seeking
freedom from around the world.
And Emma inspired women leaders like Henrietta Szold, the founder
of Hadassah, which remains the first and the largest women's Zionist
organization. And women like Sally Preisand, who despite her
classmates' claims that she was studying to become the wife of a rabbi,
went on to become the first woman rabbi in America. While Shoshana
Cardin went from being president of her Zionist youth group to being
the first woman to head the Conference of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations. (Applause.) She summed up her success this way
-? "I didn't do it because I thought that's what women did; I did it
because that was where I thought I could make a difference."
Generations of strong Jewish women have made a difference for all
Americans and for all women. And today, the Lions of Judah continue
that legacy. We're inspired by Lions like Joan Beren, who's been a
part of United Jewish Communities for nearly 50 years. (Applause.) As
the first woman President of the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, Joan has
led efforts to register women voters and to ensure that women have a
voice in politics. And like Henrietta Szold and generations of her
ancestors, Joan helps Russian immigrants settle in America. She finds
apartments and jobs for families in Kansas and she takes them to the
dentist and the grocery store. She has become the first and most
enduring friend to countless new Americans.
Service is nothing new for Joan. Some of her earliest memories are
of sharing her home with refugees from the Holocaust. And throughout
her life, Joan has done everything she can to help repair the world.
Joan says, "I live my life by the saying, 'From those to whom much is
given, much is expected.'" And I think it must be the same for each
and every one of you in this room. Joan, thank you for all you do to
strengthen our nation. (Applause.)
Empowered women are vital to democracy. And this is even clearer
to all of us today as we look around the world and we see what happens
in countries where half of the population is left out. The struggle
for human rights is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary
things. And today, I'm proud that the women of Afghanistan are writing
an exciting new chapter in their long struggle.
Just a few years ago in Afghanistan, women weren't allowed to even
walk outside their doors without a male escort, and they were beaten
and executed in sports stadiums. They couldn't work outside the home,
and little girls in Afghanistan were forbidden to be educated. Today,
Afghan women are working again as teachers, as lawyers, as
businesswomen. Women head two cabinet posts, and many more serve
throughout government. Several women helped draft the country's
constitution, which is one of the most progressive documents on women's
rights in the Muslim world.
I'm proud that nearly 5 million Afghan children, including more
than 2 million girls, are in school. And now they talk about their
future, and about rebuilding their country. One young girl said, "I
want to become a lawyer, because I want to bring justice and freedom to
Afghanistan, especially for women."
And just last week, millions of Afghans voted in the first free
presidential election in the history of their country. And they
achieved this milestone even after so many critics said that
Afghanistan couldn't have free elections, because it would be
inconsistent with their history. But they proved the critics wrong.
Voters lined up at three o'clock in the morning. And in one part of
the country where a bridge was blown up by terrorists, people found a
ford to cross the river so they could vote. A woman cast the very
first ballot. Nineteen-year-old Moqadasa Sidiqi said, "I cannot
explain my feelings, just how happy I am. I would have never thought I
would be able to vote in an election."
The people of Afghanistan showed the world that democracy can
flourish anywhere when people are given the chance to be free.
The Afghan people still face many challenges in strengthening their
young democracy. But Afghan women are making great progress in
exercising their freedoms. And the women of Afghanistan can be an
inspiration to women in other parts of the world. In Iraq, after three
decades of brutal dictatorship where women were punished with rape and
torture, women are participating in the reconstruction of their
country. Three women helped draft the Transitional Administrative Law
that is a model for women's rights. During the signing of their
interim law, Iraqi women marched together and many spoke publicly for
the first time after years of oppression. Six women ministers serve in
the Cabinet and nearly 100 women serve in Iraq's national police
force. Several Iraqi women are also among the first Fulbright students
to study in the United States in 14 years.
We'll continue to help the women of Iraq in securing their rights
and rebuilding their country. The presence of a democratic, stable
Iraq at the heart of the Middle East will be a powerful beacon for
freedom, an example of hope in that vital region. (Applause.) Our
work is part of a broader effort to support women across the Middle
East. We know that without women, the goals of democracy and peace
cannot be achieved.
Freedom is also at the heart of the President's approach to
bringing peace between Israel and the Palestinian people. My husband is
strongly committed to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish
state. (Applause.) Our first visit to Israel in 1998 left a deep and
lasting impression on both George and me. Israel is not only a land of
rich history and faith, but also one where people of all races and
creeds live together in a diverse democracy. During a helicopter ride
above the country, the President saw firsthand how precarious Israel's
security situation is. And that's why President Bush has been so
supportive of Israel's right to defend itself. (Applause.)
We want to help the Palestinian people establish a democratic and
viable state of their own. But before there can be two states, all
parties must renounce violence and fight terrorism. (Applause.)
Terrorists are the enemy of freedom. And they seek to destroy more
than our institutions of democracy and freedom, like our schools or
places of worship. They want to destroy our very way of life. We see
this in Iraq where the terrorists attack young men and women who are
hoping to sign up for the police force. We see this in Russia, where
they kill innocent school children to make a political point. And we
see this in Israel, where Israelis are attacked in pizza parlors, on
buses on their way to work, or while shopping in supermarkets. And we
saw this on a quiet September morning when terrorists attacked
Americans at work in cities that have always symbolized freedom.
Like fascists and totalitarians before them, terrorists try to
impose their radical views through threats and violence. The Jewish
people know too well the devastation of such hatred. My father also
knew this devastation -- he saw it firsthand. He served in World War
II for three years in Europe, and his Army Company -? the 104th
Infantry, helped to liberate Nordhausen, a concentration camp.
(Applause.) My father is no longer living, but I used to ask him about
that time, and he couldn't bear to tell me about it. I think in
retrospect, he couldn't bear to tell his precious child that there is
evil in the world.
There's much we know about the Holocaust, but when President Bush
and I visited Auschwitz last summer, I realized there are things
textbooks can't teach. They can't teach you how to feel when you see
prayer shawls or baby shoes left by children being torn from their
mothers, or prison cells with the scratch marks of attempted escape.
But what moved me the most were the thousands of eyeglasses, their
lenses still smudged with tears and dirt. It struck me how vulnerable
we are as humans, how many needed those glasses to see, and how many
people living around the camps and around the world refused to see. We
see today and we know what happened and we'll never forget.
(Applause.)
We set aside a day each year at the United States Capitol to
remember the Holocaust and to honor those who lost their lives, and to
pray for the survivors, to keep their memories alive. On this day, and
everyday, we must also renew our efforts to destroy anti-Semitism
wherever it exists. (Applause.)
When the World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa became
a theater for anti-Semitic expression, President Bush ordered the
United States delegation to walk out in protest, and I'm glad he did.
(Applause.) He also sent a delegation led by former Mayor Koch to a
conference on anti-Semitism sponsored by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe. The United States was instrumental in
negotiating a strong statement condemning anti-Semitism and promoting
practical ideas to fight it.
And just two days ago, on Saturday morning, the President signed
the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. (Applause.) This law
commits our government to keep a record of anti-Semitic acts throughout
the world, and also a record of the responses to those acts. It
establishes a new office and a special envoy in the State Department to
do just this. President Bush will make sure that our nation keeps
watch, and that the ancient impulse of anti-Semitism never again finds
a home in the modern world. (Applause.)
We know that hatred prepares the way for violence, and that is why
President Bush is committed to defeating terror and spreading freedom.
My husband believes that together we can build a safer and stronger
world where all of our children and grandchildren can grow up in
peace.
We too can contribute to the spread of liberty by teaching our
children tolerance and respect for all people. We must teach them that
hate is always wrong, and life is valuable. Through education, we can
engage the fortitude of the next generation. And we'll ensure that our
own children and all the world's children have a better chance of
living in peace.
Women are vital to the struggle for freedom and the preservation of
peace. Each of you demonstrates your power as mothers, as community
leaders, as activists -? and also as women. And like your ancestors,
your greatest power is the ability to inspire a new generation of women
and girls. (Applause.) Joan Beren's daughters, Amy and Julie, like to
joke that they were born with UJC pledge cards in their hands.
(Laughter.) Throughout their lives, they've been inspired by their
mother's commitment to her community and her faith. Today, Amy is the
first woman president of her synagogue and Julie is the major gifts
chair for the Jewish Federation of greater Los Angeles. (Applause.)
They both support education programs for children in their
communities, and both support their own children's aspirations to help
others. Julie said, "My children understand that service is their
responsibility. We all have a responsibility to care for one another.
My life has been blessed and I am so lucky to be in the position to
give back." Julie, thanks to you, your sister, and your mother for
inspiring the next generation of Lions. (Applause.)
And thanks to each one of you for inspiring women around the world
-? especially younger women like my own daughters. You should be
incredibly proud of the work you've accomplished, the network you've
built, and the legacy you've sustained. I'm reminded of the Hebrew
saying, "Know before whom you stand." In all that you do, you stand
before your family, your community, and before God. And through acts of
faith and love, you stand up for freedom, and for a better world for
all of God's people. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you so
much.
END 1:28 P.M. EDT
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