Twenty-six years ago, the U.S. Congress established the Days of Remembrance as an annual commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust. We reflect this week upon the tremendous suffering of the Jewish people and are reminded once again that racial and religious hatred has often flourished even among civilized peoples.

Each year, the organizers of this weeklong event invite us to reflect on a different aspect of the Holocaust. This year's theme, "Legacies of Justice," honors the men and women who testified against Nazi war criminals after World War II. We remember their courage, and the courage of those who work to uncover injustice in our own day.

The Holocaust was an unspeakable crime that cried out for justice. And when its full scope became clear, the World was determined to hold the Nazis to account. Sixty years ago this year, the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg met this difficult challenge by trying the Nazi war criminals through the legal system.

We remember the Tribunal's work with pride. Through it, thousands of Holocaust survivors had the chance to bring their former captors to justice. Nuremberg was an open forum in which terrible crimes were made plain, and it reminds us today that crimes against humanity will not go unpunished, that the cry of the oppressed will be heard.

We will celebrate The Days of Remembrance this year from April 23-April 30. We ask that you take a moment during the week to remember those who had the courage to speak out against the Nazis at Nuremberg and those in our own communities who fight injustice today. These daring men and women must not be forgotten or ignored.