At the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
On Wednesday, September 19 at 7 PM, the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will invite Kati Marton, author of Wallenberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Saved the Jews of Budapest, and Wallenberg historian Bengt Jangfeld, for a fascinating discussion with Museum Director Dr. David G. Marwell about Raoul Wallenberg and His Legacy on the 100th anniversary of Wallenberg’s birth. The conversation will explore the life, legacy, and unanswered questions surrounding the Swedish diplomat who helped rescue tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust.
Wallenberg was recruited by the U.S. War Refugee Board (WRB) in June 1944 to travel to Hungary. Given status as a diplomat by the Swedish legation, his task was to do what he could to assist and save Hungarian Jews. Despite a complete lack of experience in diplomacy and clandestine operations, he led one of the most extensive and successful rescue efforts during the Holocaust. When Soviet forces liberated Budapest in February 1945, more than 100,000 Jews remained, mostly because of the efforts of Wallenberg and his colleagues.
The program is presented in partnership with the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and the Permanent Missions of Hungary and Sweden to the United Nations, and is free to the public.
Holocaust remembrance is a priority issue for the United Nations, which is placing a special emphasis on the rescue of Jews and the courageous men and women who risked their lives in doing so. “We will continue to be inspired by the shining example of great humanitarians such as Raoul Wallenberg, in this, the centennial year of his birth,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“Raoul Wallenberg’s example should be an inspiration for anyone who questions the impact a single individual can have. We are pleased to mark the centennial of his birth in this most fitting of places, overlooking the Statue of Liberty — a symbol of hope and freedom — the very values that inspired him and his remarkable acts,” said Museum Director David G. Marwell, Ph.D.
