Nine Slovaks received posthumous Righteous Among The Nations awards from Israel and the Yad Vashem institution at Bratislava City Hall on Sunday for saving the lives of Jewish fellow citizens during WWII. Israeli Ambassador to Slovakia Zeev Boker presented medals and certificates to relatives. The awarded Slovaks will have their names inscribed on the Wall of Honour in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem. So far, 465 Slovak citizens have received the Righteous Among The Nations title. Sunday’s awards ceremony was attended among others by President Ivan Gasparovic, Premier Robert Fico, Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, Justice Minister Stefan Harabin, mayor of Bratislava Andrej Durkovsky, and representatives of the Jewish community in Slovakia.
January 28, 2009