Righteous Among the Nations
From Free net encyclopedia
Righteous Among the Nations (Hebrew: חסידי אומות העולם, Khasidei Umot HaOlam) is a term used to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust in order to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis.
Contents |
Origin of the term
Righteous gentiles or "Righteous Among the Nations" was a term originally used in Jewish tradition to deal with the concept of non-Jews who were good people. By Jewish tradition, the large set of laws and precepts contained in the Torah, as well as the Talmud and oral law, are only required of Jews, since they are regarded as having inherited the obligation from their ancestors, who volunteered for the duty. In contrast to the 613 commandments enjoined upon Jews by Jewish tradition, non-Jews have to follow less detailed ethical principles contained in the Noahide Laws.
Bestowing of the title
Since 1963, a commission headed by a Supreme Court of Israel justice has been charged with the duty of awarding the honorary title "Righteous Among the Nations." The commission is guided in its work by certain criteria and meticulously studies all documentation, including evidence by survivors and other eyewitnesses. A person who is recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations is awarded a medal bearing their name, a certificate of honor, and the privilege of their name being added to those on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, the Israeli Holocaust Memorial. (The last is in lieu of a tree-planting, which was discontinued for lack of space.) The awards are distributed to the rescuers or their next of kin during ceremonies in Israel or in their countries of residence through the offices of Israel's diplomatic representatives. These ceremonies are attended by local government representatives and are given wide media coverage.
The Yad Vashem Law authorizes Yad Vashem
- "To confer honorary citizenship upon the Righteous Among the Nations, and if they have passed away, the commemorative citizenship of the State of Israel, in recognition of their actions."
Anyone who has been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations is entitled to apply to Yad Vashem for the certificate. If the Righteous Among the Nations is no longer alive, their next of kin is entitled to request that commemorative citizenship be conferred on the Righteous Among the Nations who has passed away. To date, a total of 20,205 people, including family members who shared in the rescue of Jews, have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, representing over 8000 authenticated rescue stories. Yad Vashem's policy is to pursue the program for as long as petitions for this title are received and are supported by solid evidence that meets the criteria.
Perks
- A righteous gentile will receive a monthly cash benefit at the rate of the average wage. In addition, a convalescent grant of up to eight days at the rate paid to civil servants, will be paid to a righteous gentile and his/her spouse. Health services, free of charge, under the National Health Insurance Law will also be provided to the righteous gentile." [1]
- "The Righteous Among the Nations who experience economic difficulties - wherever they reside - are aided financially by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, a New York-based philanthropic organization which was created for this purpose. The Anne Frank Fonds, based in Basle, Switzerland, looks after those in need of medication. The Righteous residing in Israel (some 35 people) automatically receive a generous state pension." [2]
- "Israel is home for 57 surviving Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews and came to live here alone, or with their families, at the end of World War II. ATZUM is working to provide basic needs not met by the Israel social welfare (NII) package, including visits by Israeli "adoptive grandchildren", professional caretakers, and geriatric, dental, ophthalmic and auditory treatments and aids. We are working intensively with eleven Righteous Gentiles and have distributed $13,000 to them." [3]
Count per country and ethnic origin
| Country of origin | Count of Righteous Among the Nations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | 5,941 | Since 1939 Nazis estabilished in Poland death penalty for people who were hiding Jews |
| Netherlands | 4,726 | Includes two persons originally from Indonesia residing in the Netherlands. |
| France | 2,646 | |
| Ukraine | 2,139 | |
| Belgium | 1,414 | |
| Hungary | 671 | |
| Lithuania | 630 | |
| Belarus | 564 | |
| Slovakia | 460 | |
| Germany | 427 | |
| Italy | 391 | |
| Greece | 265 | |
| Yugoslavia | 121 | Serbia and Montenegro (the source doesn't count Montenegro here) |
| Russia | 120 | |
| Czech Republic | 115 | |
| Croatia | 105 | |
| Latvia | 100 | |
| Austria | 85 | |
| Moldova | 71 | |
| Albania | 63 | |
| Romania | 52 | |
| Switzerland | 38 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 34 | (the source doesn't count Herzegovina here) |
| Norway | 26 | |
| Denmark | 21 | Per their request, the members of the Danish Underground who participated in the rescue of the Danish Jews are listed as one group. |
| Bulgaria | 17 | |
| United Kingdom | 13 | |
| Sweden | 10 | |
| Republic of Macedonia | 10 | |
| Armenia | 10 | |
| Slovenia | 6 | |
| Spain | 3 | |
| Estonia | 3 | |
| USA | 2 | Varian Fry, Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) representative in France, Martha Sharp, Waitstill Sharp |
| Brazil | 2 | |
| China | 2 | Pan Jun Shun, Ho Feng Shan |
| Chile | 1 | |
| Japan | 1 | Chiune Sugihara, Japanese Consul (Kovno, Lithuania) |
| Luxembourg | 1 | Victor Bodson, Justice Minister & Chairman, Luxembourg House of Representatives |
| Portugal | 1 | Aristides Sousa Mendes Portuguese consul-general (Bordeaux, France) |
| Turkey | 1 | Selahattin Ulkumen, Turkish consul-general (Rhodes) |
| Georgia | 1 | |
| Total | 21,310 | As of January 1, 2006. (Source: [4]) |
See also
- Category:Righteous Among the Nations
- Zegota Council to Aid the Jews in occupied Poland
- List of people who helped Jews during the Holocaust
- Ger tzedek
References
- Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust: Genocide and Moral Obligation, Gushee, David P., ISBN 1557788219, Paragon House Publishers
- The Heart Has Reasons: Holocaust Rescuers and Their Stories of Courage,Klempner, Mark, ISBN 0829816992, The Pilgrim Press
- To Save a Life: Stories of Holocaust Rescue, Land-Weber, Ellen, ISBN 0252025156, University of Illinois Press
- The Path of the Righteous: Gentile Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust, Paldiel, Mordecai, ISBN 0881253766, KTAV Publishing House, Inc.
- When Light Pierced the Darkness: Christian Rescue of Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland, Tec, Nechama, ISBN 0195051947, Oxford University Press
- Zegota: The Council to Aid Jews in Occupied Poland 1942-1945, Tomaszewski, Irene & Werblowski, Tecia, ISBN 1896881157, Price-Patterson
External links
- Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem
- Holocaust Rescuers Bibliography
- Saving Jews: Polish Righteous
- Photo gallery on righteous gentiles during the Holocaust at Simon Wiesenthal Center
- Rescuers at Jewish Virtual Library
- Holocaust Memorial Budapest, testimony from the family Jakobovics in 1947
- Witness: "Karoly Szabo played a determining role among Wallenberg’s supporters"Template:Link FA
cs:Spravedlivý mezi národy de:Gerechter unter den Völkern eo:Justuloj inter la popoloj fr:Juste parmi les nations it:Giusti tra le nazioni he:חסיד אומות העולם nrm:Juste parmi les nâtions pl:Sprawiedliwy wśród Narodów Świata sk:Spravodliví medzi národmi fi:Vanhurskaat kansakuntien joukossa