On August 4th, 2006 the world will commemorate the 94th birthday of Raoul Wallenberg. This Swedish diplomat, who saved 100,000 lives in Hungary during the Holocaust, was abducted by the Soviets on January 17th 1945 and to this day his whereabouts remain a mystery.
My wish is that awareness about this hero is spread all over the world so that his brave actions will never be forgotten. Wallenberg’s example proves that one person can make a difference, no matter how difficult and risky the circumstances may be. As Aslbert Einstein said: ”The world is too dangerous to live in – not because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen.”
Let this be the last year that this special day is celebrated while he is still missing.
BARUCH TENEMBAUM
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, New York
