Dear Friend,
We are pleased to address you on behalf of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF), a global-reach NGO devoted to preserve and spread-around the courageous legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and all his likes, namely, women and men who reached-out to the victims of persecution during the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide and other tragic chapters of history, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality or religion of the heroes and rescued ones.
In the context of our above mentioned mission, our flagship program “Houses of Life” is shedding light on a hitherto poorly reviewed chapter of history. We are revealing to the world the story of churches, convents, monasteries, religious boarding schools, and other institutions, overwhelmingly affiliated to the Christian faith, that offered refuge to the victims of the Nazi persecution in territories controlled by Germany during WWII. Most of the sheltered ones were children, left by their parents before the latter’s deportation to concentration and death camps.
We are also active in the interfaith field and one good example is that in last June we bestowed the Raoul Wallenberg Medal upon Archbishop Corrado Lorefice, of Palermo, as a token of recognition to what he had done half a year earlier, 524 years after the deadline of the edict of expulsion of the Jews of Sicily, dictated by the Spanish Monarchs. Back in 1493, the Great Synagogue of Palermo was confiscated and destroyed and a Church was built upon its ruins. In 2017, Archbishop Lorefice decided to return part of this property (now belonging to the Church) to the Jewish community for the reconstruction of the Synagogue of Palermo.
Moreover, we have sponsored a field-research supervised by Professor Taner Akcam, of Clark University, regarding the role played by Muslim Turks and Kurds in saving Armenians during the Genocide. The results of the investigation were published in the E-Book format in four languages and is offered free of charge to the public at large.
As far as Armenia is concerned, we also dedicate many efforts to shed light on the feats of the brave Armenians that reached-out to the Jews during the Holocaust, such as the case of Dr. Harutyun Khachatryan or that of the world-renowned singer, Charles Aznavour who, together with his family, provided shelter to people persecuted by the Nazis in their Paris flat during the German occupation. Last October 26th, we bestowed upon Mr. Aznavour and his sister Aida, the Raoul Wallenberg Medal.
We would welcome your input and feedback should you decide to comment on our mission and activities.
Please, be aware that our NGO does not conduct fund-raising campaigns, nor ask for donations whatsoever.
Best regards,
Eduardo Eurnekian
Chairman
Baruch Tenembaum
Founder
www.raoulwallenberg.net
34 East 67th Street
New York
