COMMEMORATIVE CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS
Bust of Raoul Wallenberg at the Punta del Este Airport
A bust of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was installed at the international airport of Punta del Este, Uruguay. On the centennial of his birth, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, the company that manages the airport, and the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation paid tribute to the “Hero without a grave.” The placement of the bust of Wallenberg in Punta del Este is part of a global campaign that aims to deploy Wallenberg busts in numerous public spaces of major cities worldwide.
To read more click here.
Events around the World Commemorate the first EU Righteous Day
The call for the European Union and the Council of Europe to set up a European day in the memory of the Righteous came from a hundred prominent Italian and European personalities of the world of culture under the aegis of non-profit association Gariwo. The first European Day of the Righteous was commemorated on March 6, 2013 with many events around the world.
To read more click here.
Wallenberg Foundation was Gariwo’s Guest
On March 9, 2013, the Gariwo founders Gabriele Nissim and Pietro Kuciukian received the IRWF leadership in their home office in Milan. Quoting Baruch Tenembaum words, Gariwo has much in common with the IRWF as “We are the only two organizations in the world to honor the Righteous in all genocide cases. Gariwo – The gardens of the Righteous was officially formed in 2001. Gabriele Nissim is an historian and author of several books and Pietro Kuciukian is the chairman of the International Committee of the Righteous for the Armenians.
To read more click here.
Historical Recognition of John XXIII by Israeli City
Ashdod, Israel’s largest port, will dedicate two of its streets to Angelo Roncalli, Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) and great Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (1912-unknown). The initiative of dedicating a street in the city to the Pope and to the Swedish rescuer was promoted by Boris Giterman, acting mayor of Ashdod, in response to a request from the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, which is chaired by Eduardo Eurkenian and was founded by Baruch Tenembaum.
To read more click here.
Chairman Eduardo Eurnekian Remembered Raoul Wallenberg on the 101st Anniversary of his Birth
On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, Eduardo Eurnekian placed flowers in front of the statue of Raoul Wallenberg in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He affirmed that “Not only that we must not forget, but we have to actively remember Wallenberg and many others who did their best to help and save lives of the persecuted people during one of the most tragic chapter of the human history”.
To read more click here. (In Spanish)
President of Israeli Parliament Received the Wallenberg Foundation Leadership
Yuli Edelstein, president of the Knesset received the IRWF to mark to celebration of the centenary of the birth of Swedish diplomat and savior of thousands of lives during the Holocaust. In addition, Edelstein was informed about upcoming activities related of the foundation. Edelstein received as homage from the delegation a portrait of Wallenberg painted by Peter Malkin, captor of Adolf Eichmann in 1960, entitled “With the same hands.”
To read the article, click here. (In Spanish)
The Raoul Wallenberg Day Proclaimed Across the U.S.
Since 2005, the IRWF has campaigned to establish October 5th as Raoul Wallenberg Day throughout the United States. On October 5th 1981, Raoul Wallenberg was awarded the title of Honorary U.S. Citizen. This year the states of Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Vermont, as well as the cities of Milwaukee and Providence, joined the IRWF initiative by proclaiming the Wallenberg Day.
To read more click here.
Raoul Wallenberg Park Opened in Peru
A beautiful park of over five thousand square meters named after Raoul Wallenberg was inaugurated on San Miguel Green Coast, Peru, by the Mayor of the District, Salvador Heresi, Ambassador of Israel, Ephraim Modi and the Honorary Consul General of Sweden, Lars Andrén. Mr. Lars Andrén, appreciated the gesture of Mayor Heresi and recalled the heroism of Wallenberg, and the place of honor he has in the history of universal solidarity. President of the Jewish Association of Peru, León Pardo conveyed that the project advocates against discrimination, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Ambassador of Israel, Modi Ephraim thanked the Swedish hero on behalf of the thousands of Jews who were saved by him.
To read more click here.
Wallenberg Foundation Addresses World Leaders
In a letter addressed to the world-wide leaders the IRWF asks for the closure of one of the most controversial and lasting human right’s cases since the end of World War II. Heads of State of Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, India, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Italy, United Kingdom and Japan were selected by the IRWF to create awareness about a cause that involves the fate of a man that helped save the lives of thousands of persecuted people during the Holocaust. Global NGO IRWF raises issue of Swedish diplomat’s fate 68 years after he went missing
To read more click here.
HONORING
Sir Nicholas Winton, British Holocaust Rescuer Honored in London
The IRWF bestowed the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal upon Sir Nicholas Winton, Holocaust savior who rescued and saved from certain death over six hundred Jewish children from Czechoslovakia. During a special ceremony held at the Embassy of Sweden in London, the IRWF’s Chairman Eduardo Eurnekian said: “Sir Nicholas Winton risked his comfortable position as a stockbroker and initiated an operation that any sensible person would have qualified as impossible.”
To read more click here.
Romania Honors Baruch Tenenbaum for Defending the Memory of the Holocaust
The President of Romania, Traian Basescu, announced the award of the National Order of Merit upon Baruch Tenenbaum, founder of IRWF, for his defense of the memory of the Holocaust. According to the announcement the award is given “in appreciation for the strong moral and professionalism he has shown throughout his career, by his decisive contribution to promote the memory of the Holocaust and the Jewish heritage, as well as the preservation of the interfaith dialogue.”
To read more click here.
Polish Entrepreneur Honored with the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal
Polish businessman Aleksander Gudzowaty, founder of the Tolerance Monument in Jerusalem has been awarded the Centennial Medal by the IRWF for “lifetime achievements aimed at the preservation of historical memory, respect and mutual understanding among peoples”. The Tolerance Monument is an outdoor sculpture unveiled in 2008 designed by Polish artist Czeslaw Dzwigaj and is located in a park near the Goldman Promenade in Jerusalem. Aleksander Gudzowaty is creating a World Center of Tolerance in Jerusalem as part of a campaign to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
To read more click here.
The IRWF co-sponsored the 26th Raoul Wallenberg Award Prize in Human Rights and Holocaust Studies
The award ceremony took place at Tel Aviv University on January 17, 2013. The 2013 Wallenberg Prize was funded by the IRWF and the Swedish Friends of Tel Aviv University. Prof. Dina Porat, Head of the Kantor Center for the Study of European Contemporary Jewry, chaired the event. All the speakers, Prof. Porat, Prof. Rein, Ambassador Hammarskjold and Danny Rainer, stressed the importance of raising awareness to Raoul Wallenberg, the role model and the victim. The three award winners are Dr. Gunther Jikeli, Ms. Natalie Davidson and Mrs. Oren Feina.
To read more click here.
Slovak President Receives Wallenberg Centennial Medal
The IRWF bestowed the “Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal” upon the President of Slovakia, Ivan Gasparovic. The ceremony took place on 14 March at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava. The Wallenberg Centennial Medal pays tribute to the Slovak Holocaust Rescuers who helped save the lives of persecuted people during one of the most tragic chapters of modern history. Messrs. Eduardo Eurnekian and Baruch Tenembaum, Chairman and Founder of the IRWF, respectively, attended the ceremony.
To read more click here.
Commemorating the Holocaust Day in Buenos Aires
On April 8, 2013, invited by the DAIA and the Day of the Holocaust, the IRWF lit a candle in commemoration of the millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust. The event took place at the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires and IRWF Chairman Eduardo Eurnekian attended the event.
To read more click here. (In Spanish)
Raoul Wallenberg Becomes Australia’s First Honorary Citizen
Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who led a rescue operation to save nearly 100,000 Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary has been recognized as the first honorary Australian citizen. The news about this honoring was announced by the Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard, an honorary member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
To read more click here.
Prime Minister of Australia Shares Historic Announcement with the IRWF
At a proposal of the IRWF, back then Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, made a special videotaped announcement of the decision to grant honorary citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg. “The lives of those he rescued are Mr. Wallenberg’s greatest memorial and Australia is honored to have survivors he rescued living in Australia today,” said Prime Minister Gillard in a statement. Raoul Wallenberg thus became the first person ever to receive the Australian honorary citizenship.
To read more click here.
Gordon Brown Receives the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal
The IRWF presented the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal to Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Brown was awarded for his commitment to the preservation of historical memory and for promoting the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and other rescuers of the Holocaust. The ceremony took place on June 27, 2013 in London. Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved 669 Czech children before the outbreak of the war was among the survivors and rescuers in attendance.
To read more click here.
Samuel Pisar Receives the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal
Samuel Pisar, prominent international lawyer, UNESCO Honorary Ambassador and Holocaust survivor, was awarded the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal for his role in the transmission of the lessons of the Holocaust to the younger generations. The ceremony took place on June 24, 2013, at the Embassy of Sweden in Paris.
To read more click here.
Pope John XXIII Private Secretary Distinguished by the IRWF
Loris Francesco Capovilla, a personal secretary and friend of Pope John XXIII was awarded with the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal. The ceremony took place on June 25, 2013, in Sotto il Monte Giovanni XXIII, in Italy. The award to Monsignor Capovilla, 97, acknowledges his contribution to keep the memory of Pope John XXIII alive for over half a century.
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August 27, 2013 – Raoul Wallenberg Day in Sweden
Sweden has institutionalized an official Raoul Wallenberg Day which will be commemorated annually on August 27, starting in 2013. In 2012, coinciding with the 100th birthday of the Swedish hero, the Swedish Government created a special entity which coordinated all the commemorative events worldwide and the IRWF had the honor and privilege to cooperate with this organization in several activities.
To read more click here.
Medal to an Armenian Savior in Yerevan
The IRWF bestowed the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal to Armenian Holocaust Rescuer, Dr. Harutyun Khachatryan at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan, Armenia. Dr. Khachatrian was a military doctor with the Soviet Red Army. After his imprisonment while serving as a physician he saved life of Josef Kogan, a wounded Jewish inmate. The medal was presented to Anna Khachatrian, on behalf of her grandfather, by Baruch Tenembaum and Artiom Chernamoryan, a prominent IRWF volunteer.
To read more click here and here.
President of Armenia Received the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal, September 2013
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, an honorary member of the IRWF, was awarded with the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal in a special ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan. The ceremony of bestowal fell on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which made the event even more meaningful. The President expressed his gratitude to the IRWF, and acknowledged Armenia’s policies aimed at the prevention and condemnation of the crimes of genocide.
To read more click here
Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt receives the Wallenberg Centennial Medal, October 2013
On October 2, 2013, the IRWF bestowed the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal upon the Prime Minister of Denmark, Ms. Helle Thorning-Schmidt. The ceremony took place at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen. The Prime Minister received the medal on behalf of the Danes who contributed to the rescue of thousands of Danish Jews in 1943. Besides the IRWF leadership and other important leaders, Jens Ege, member of the Danish underground resistance against the Nazis, attended the ceremony.
To read more click here.
The IRWF Awards Barbara Mooyaart-Doubleway
The IRWF presented the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal to Barbara Mooyaart-Doubleday, the original translator of Anne Frank’s diary into English. The ceremony took place on October 28, 2013, at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. The prize was bestowed in recognition of her lifetime dedication to keep alive the memory of the Shoah. Mrs. Mooyaart is considered today an example of the power of education. Ana Frank’s father chose her translation among several others, asserting she had remarkable linguistic skills. The book became a best seller and she gained international recognition for her work.
To read more click here.
The President of Greece Karolos Papoulias Receives the Raoul Wallenberg Medal
On November 18, 2013, the IRWF presented the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal to the President of Greece, Karolos Papoulias, in recognition of his contribution to the protection of human rights and his devotion in defending the memory of Jews who were the victims of Nazi atrocities. In his acceptance speech President Papoulias said that human rights and democratic freedoms are being tested and that “those who deny this sacrifice of thousands of European citizens cannot be a part of the European family”. After the honoring ceremony Mr. Papoulias met with Greek holocaust survivors Rosa Aser-Pardo, Iosif Ventura, and Eftychia Nahman, and the people that saved them Lydia Theodoraki-Dimaki, Evangelia Kypraiou, and Katia Mavrogeorgiou-Aggelopoulou.
To read more click here.
EDUCATIONAL AND ART INITIATIVES
Literary Competition in Maalot, Israel
The awards ceremony of the literary competition on Raoul Wallenberg organized by the Casa Argentina in Israel and IRWF in Israeli high schools was held on February 10, in Maalot ORT College. Many students and teachers as well as school director Sofie Ben Artzi, parents, and representatives of the IRWF and Casa Argentina, attended the event.
To read more click here. (In Spanish)
Jack Fuchs and the Delicate Art of Communicating the Holocaust
Jack Fuchs passed through Auschwitz and lost all his family in the Nazi concentration camps. Native Polish, 89 years old, he has lived in Buenos Aires since the end of World War II. He is one of the last survivors and the leading role of “The Tree of the Wall”, a documentary by Tomás Lipgot. Since then, Mr. Fuchs devoted his time to honor the memory of the Shoah in many organizations, schools and universities. He is also the author of the books “Time to Remember” and “Dilemmas of Memory”.
To read more click here.
Panel at the International Conference Honoring the Memory of Pope John XXIII in Jerusalem
Baruch Tenembaum, Founder of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation chaired one of the sessions of the International Conference Honoring the Memory of Pope John XXIII “The Shoah, the Jews and the State of Israel”. The event, organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, together with the American Jewish Council (Global Jewish Advocacy), AJC and Yad Vashem, took place in Jerusalem, on April 29th, 2013, at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center.
To read more click here.
Special Screening of Kinderblock 66 as part of ‘Saviors on the screen’ program
Co-sponsored by the IRWF, the documentary Kinderblock 66: return to Buchenwald was presented at the JCC Manhattan as part of the Saviors on the screen program, organized annually in commemoration of Iom ha Shoah. The IRWF is the fiscal sponsor of the documentary that tells the story of the children who survived Buchenwald concentration camp with the help of Antonin Kalina. Kalina was declared “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem.
To read more click here
Nicky’s Family at the JCC Manhattan
The IRWF promoted the screening of the film “Nicky’s family” at the JCC Manhattan. Nicholas Winton, now 104 years old, organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II. As a result of his heroic efforts, today there are over 6,000 descendants of ‘Winton’s Children.” Their descendants around the world continue to follow his example to do good, as chronicled in the award-winning film Nicky’s Family. Coincidentally, the screening occurred in the same period when the IRWF leadership awarded him with the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal.
To read more click here
New Documentary Film About Raoul Wallenberg; Fiscal Sponsorship of the IRWF
New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon and two-time Emmy Award winning Producer Brian Mait are joining forces with Director Brad Rothschild and Executive Producer Alex Ruthizer to tell the larger than life story of Raoul Wallenberg, the young heroic Swedish, who in 1944 left his life of luxury to volunteer for a dangerous mission to save 100,000 Hungarian Jews from certain death.
The IRWF is proud to be a fiscal sponsor of the project.
To read more click here.
Concert in Lugano The Lost European Raoul Wallenberg
In December 2013 the IRWF proudly announced the concert “The Lost European Raoul Wallenberg” to be held at the Congress Centre of Lugano, Switzerland, on January 2, 2014. This event is organized by Mr. Giorgio Lundmark and is co-sponsored by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, the Embassy of Sweden, the City of Lugano, and the Embassy of Hungary.
The concert will feature works by major composers, such as Chopin, Brahms, Rossini, Grieg, Sarasate, Donizetti, Carlos Salzedo and Ghielmetti.
To read more click here.
Book Presentation in Tel Aviv
The Spanish newspaper journalist Eduardo Martin de Pozuelo presented his book “El Franquismo, complice del Holocausto” before a full audience at the University of Tel Aviv. The event was organized by the IRWF and the Association of Spanish-Speaking Friends at the University of Tel-Aviv. Moderated by Eduardo Bigio the event counted with the participations of Eduardo Martin de Pozuelo, Professor Haim Avni, journalist Henrique Cymerman and Danny Rainer, vice president of the IRWF.
To read more click here. (In Spanish)
ARTICLES BY THE IRWF
Jewish Friend of Pope Francis: “[He] stood out for his closeness to minorities”, March 2013
We quote from an interview Baruch Tenembaum’s thoughts about the election of Pope Francis after he was elected as Pope Francisco “He wore a normal jacket and used public transportation, but at the same time, he is a very cultured man.”
Longtime personal friend of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I, Tenembaum, a pioneer of interreligious dialogue amongst Christians, Muslims and Jews since the 1960s commented “I am very satisfied, because I believe that we will see, in terms of spirituality, a repetition of the what John XXIII did at the service of the Church and of the world.”
To read more click here.
Argentina’s Jewish Community Celebrate Pope Francis, The Miami Herald, March 2013
Tucked into an alcove of Buenos Aires National Cathedral, right beside an icon of the Virgin of Luján, is a wall of yellowed documents written in delicate Hebrew. The pages were rescued from the death camps of Auschwitz, the ruins of Berlin’s synagogue and the remains of this city’s Jewish community center.
To read more click here.
A comforting Sense of Deja-vu, article by Baruch Tenembaum, the Jerusalem Post
“June 3, 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the passing of a remarkable man: Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, better known as Pope John XXIII. It is a shame the Israeli public is not well aware of him, as he was one of the greatest friends of the Jewish people”.
Back in the 1940s, as the apostolic delegate of the Vatican in Istanbul, Cardinal Roncalli spared no efforts to save as many Jews as possible from the Nazi extermination. He went out of his way to help the beleaguered Jews.
To read more click here.
Letter to the Editor, the Jerusalem Post
A letter to the Editor about the fate of Raoul Wallenberg written by Eduardo Eurnekian and Baruch Tenembaum was published in the Jerusalem Post on August 7, 2013.
To read more click here.
”Raoul Wallenberg is still missing” by Tenembaum and Eurnekian, the Jerusalem Post
An article that examines the fate of Raoul Wallenberg and the attitude of the Soviet Union and Sweden in this respect was published in the Jerusalem Post on August 27, 2013.
“The fact that Wallenberg’s fate is still shrouded in mystery and it is the direct responsibility of the Russian authorities that are thwarting a full and unfettered access to the KGB archives. At the same time, quite sadly, this mind-boggling Russian behavior has been facilitated, to a great extent, by the unexplainable passivity of the Swedish governments in the past decades and the silence of some of the most prominent members of the Wallenberg economic empire.”
To read the entire article click here.
Letter to the Editor, Haaretz
A letter to the editor signed by Baruch Tenembaum and Eduardo Eurnekian was published in Haaretz newspaper in reference to the article on the Italian rescuer Gino Bartali. The 1938 Tour de France winner Bartali aided the Jewish-Christian rescue network in his hometown of Florence and the surrounding area by shuffling forged documents and papers hidden in the tubes and seat of his bike. The letter highlighted the IRWF’s work on honoring the Italian rescuer and using his example in the educational programs of the foundation.
To read more click here. (In Spanish)
