In the 1980s, Mark Kirk served as staff director for the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and became a leading organizer for the Soviet Jewry movement.  More than 20 years later, Congressman Kirk remains a leading voice on Capitol Hill in the fight to combat global anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

After his election to Congress, Mark Kirk joined his long-time friend, the late-Congressman Tom Lantos, as a co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Anti-Semitism.

Here are just a few examples of Congressman Kirk’s work to fight global anti-Semitism and combat Holocaust denial.

• Congressman Kirk was one of only three members of Congress who called on the National Institutes of Health to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism and discrimination.

• Congressman Kirk was one of the first members of Congress to condemn the President of Belarus for anti-Semitic comments.  He alos introduced legislation to combat rising incidents of anti-Semitism in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

• Congressman Kirk led an effort to condemn Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call to “wipe Israel off the map” – introducing a resolution urging the U.N. Security Council to charge Ahmadinejad under genocide conventions.

• Congressman Kirk helped lead the effort to open the Holocaust archives in Bad Arolsen, Germany – starting with a letter-writing campaign to members of the International Commission of the International Tracing Service.  In April 2007, the Hastings-Kirk resolution passed the House.  After months of bipartisan work, the archives were opened in 2008.  Congressman Kirk continued to press for speedy access for survivors and researchers.