The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation remembers Sir Nicholas Winton, who died recently and who has been compared to Wallenberg.
The Opinion Pages | Letter
To the Editor:
Re “Nicholas Winton, 1909-2015: Quiet Rescuer in Nazi Europe” (front page, July 2):
Your obituary rightly points out that Nicholas Winton, who rescued mostly Jewish children in Czechoslovakia, was often compared to Raoul Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Jews in wartime Hungary.
In June 2013, we had the honor to meet Mr. Winton in London, where we bestowed upon him the Raoul Wallenberg Medal, as a token of recognition and gratitude.
At that time, Mr. Winton was 104, and he left us mesmerized by his lucidity, vitality and sense of humor.
While we urged him to tell us more about his inspiring feats more than 70 years ago, he was reluctant to speak about himself. Instead, he voiced his concern for the situation of the world today, saying everything was “topsy-turvy.” Rather than looking back, he insisted on discussing the present and the future.
Aware of the comparison between him and Raoul Wallenberg, we told Mr. Winton what a delight it would have been to have them both together, in a meeting of rescuers. The world has lost a giant, but his legacy is here to stay.
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation mourns the passing of Nicholas Winton and pledges to keep alive his example through educational programs.
EDUARDO EURNEKIAN
BARUCH TENEMBAUM
New York
The writers are, respectively, chairman and founder of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
