August 2007

August 2

Having lunch with Mirtha Legrand – Buenos Aires, Argentina. Historian Jose Ignacio Garcia Hamilton, representative of the IRWF, participated of the renowned Argentinean TV Show ”Having lunch with Mirtha Legrand” to commemorate Raoul Wallenberg.

Raoul Wallenberg’s birthday. The IRWF commemorates this date through a variety of events that celebrate Raoul Wallenberg’s legacy. Volunteers and staff of the Foundation visited the Wallenberg Memorial in front of the United Nations, where they laid flowers aside the monument. Also visited was the nearby Wallenberg Walk street sign – marking the section of road where the monument stands. Children aged 8-10 at the Manhattan JCC Summer Camp were treated to a celebration during their afternoon activities, during which they were able to participate in a dramatization of Wallenberg’s life, decorate a banner declaring ”Happy Birthday Wallenberg”, design and write about their own ideas of what a ‘hero’ might be. Visits to other summer camps are planned during the month of August.
Raoul Wallenberg Day – Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Legislative body of the City of Buenos Aires passed the Act 2,307 through which it was ordered that a Raoul Wallenberg Day be included in the educational agenda of the city.
Raoul Wallenberg Day – Iowa, USA. The Governor Iowa, Chet Culver, proclaimed August 4, 2007, Raoul Wallenberg Day. Cedar Rapids will be honoring the memory of Raoul Wallenberg as part of their Saturday morning services.

Raoul Wallenberg’s birthday at Camp Young Judea – New Hampshire, USA. With the direction of Abigail Tenembaum, the children at the camp performed scenes from Raoul Wallenberg’s life. Some children told the stories of survival of their own grandparents, many saved by anonymous rescuers. Wayne Goldstein of camp Young Judea concluded that ”if of all the Judeic program at the camp the one thing the children take with them is the notion that, like Wallenberg, they can make a difference and should not stay silent when faced with injustice, I am very happy.”

International Day of the Disappeared. An annual commemoration day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives.