Coinciding with the 67th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s disappearance and in the framework of his 100th birthday, The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation and Casa Argentina en Israel – Tierra Santa, in conjunction with the Swedish Friends of TAU bestowed the “2012 Raoul Wallenberg Award Scholarships” to two outstanding graduate students of the Tel Aviv University (TAU), Ms. Orna Carmel (Jewish Studies) and Mr. Yehonathan Alsheh (Historical Studies). Ms. Carmel is embarked in the Ph.D. Program in the Department for Jewish Studies, at TAU, her thesis dealing with “The perception in Israel of the Danish life-saving efforts during the Holocaust”, while Mr. Alsheh is conduction his Ph.D. at the TAU School of Historical Studies, focusing on “International Debates and Politics leading to the UN Genocide Convention, 1944-1948”.
Professor Dina Porat –The Alfred P. Slaner Chair in Antisemitism and Racism incumbent, and formerly Head of the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism, acted as Master of Ceremonies.
Amongst the speakers were Professor Joseph Klafter, President of TAU, H.E. Ms. Elinor Hammarskjold, Ambassador of Sweden in Israel, Prof. Peter Seideman, President of the Swedish Friends of TAU, Professor Aanan Rein (1988 and 1992) Wallenberg Prize Recipient and Incumbent Member of the Wallenberg Prize Selection Committee , Mr. Max Grunberg, longtime activist in the quest to find out the fate of Raoul Wallenberg and Ms. Naomi Gur, Holocaust survivor, saved by Raoul Wallenberg.
On behalf of the IRWF, Mr. Eli Yossef presented a speech entitled “The Importance of Teaching Wallenberg’s Legacy: When Compassion rises to Passion.”
Mr. Danny Rainer, head of the Jerusalem offices of the IRWF, presented the award to Mr. Alsheh, while Prof. Porat did the same with Ms. Carmel.
In her closing statement, Prof. Porat read out a poem by Nathan Alterman, entitled the Swedish Tongue.
