Righteous Among the Nations Information

Righteous among the Nations (Hebrew: חסידי אומות העולם‎, Chassidey Umot HaOlam, more literally: righteous of the world's nations, also translated as Righteous Gentiles) is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis.

The term originates with the concept of righteous gentiles, a term used in Judaism to refer to non-Jews who abide by the Seven Laws of Noah.

Bestowing

When Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 by the Knesset, one of its tasks was to commemorate the "Righteous among the Nations". The Righteous were defined as non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Since 1963, a commission headed by a justice of the Supreme Court of Israel has been charged with the duty of awarding the honorary title "Righteous among the Nations." The commission is guided in its work by certain criteria and meticulously studies all documentation, including evidence by survivors and other eyewitnesses; evaluates the historical circumstances and the element of risk to the rescuer; and then decides if the case accords with the criteria.

To be recognized as "Righteous", a person has to fulfill several criteria:^[1]

• only a Jewish party can put a nomination forward;
• helping a family member or Jewish convert to Christianity does not count;
• the assistance has to be repeated and/or substantial; and
• the assistance has to be given without any financial gain expected in return (although covering normal expenses such as rent or food are acceptable).

A person who is recognized as "Righteous among the Nations" for having taken risks to help Jews during the Holocaust is awarded a medal in his name, a certificate of honor, and the privilege of having the name added to those on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. (The last is in lieu of a tree planting, which was discontinued for lack of space.) The awards are distributed to the rescuers or their next-of-kin during ceremonies in Israel, or in their countries of residence through the offices of Israel's diplomatic representatives. These ceremonies are attended by local government representatives and are given wide media coverage.

The Yad Vashem Law also authorizes Yad Vashem "to confer honorary citizenship upon the Righteous among the Nations, and if they have passed away, the commemorative citizenship of the State of Israel, in recognition of their actions." Anyone who has been recognized as Righteous among the Nations is entitled to apply to Yad Vashem for the certificate. If the Righteous among the Nations is no longer alive, their next of kin is entitled to request that commemorative citizenship be conferred on the Righteous among the Nations who has died. Recipients who choose to live in the state of Israel are entitled to a pension equal to the average national wage and free health care, as well as assistance with housing and nursing care.

As of 1 January 2009, 22,765^[2] men and women from 45 countries^[3] have been recognized as Righteous among the Nations, representing over 10,000 authenticated rescue stories. Yad Vashem's policy is to pursue the program for as long as petitions for this title are received and are supported by solid evidence that meets the criteria.

Righteous Among the Nations by country and ethnic origin as of January 1, 2010

These figures are not necessarily an indication of the actual number of Jews saved in each country, but reflect material on rescue operations made available to Yad Vashem. See List of Righteous among the Nations by country for names of individuals.

Veneration

The Righteous among the Nations are honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) on July 16.

See also

• Category:Righteous Among the Nations
• Ger Toshav
• Ger tzedek
• List of people who helped Jews during the Holocaust
• List of Righteous among the Nations by country
• Noahide Laws
• Seven Laws of Noah, a list of seven moral imperatives which, according to the Talmud, were given by God to Noah as a binding set of laws for all mankind
• Zegota Council to Aid the Jews in occupied Poland
• Virtuous pagan
• Ivan Vranetić

Notes

1. ^ Gunnar S. Paulsson, “The Rescue of Jews by Non-Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland,” published in The Journal of Holocaust Education, volume 7, nos. 1 & 2 (summer/autumn 1998): pp.19–44. Reprinted in “Collective Rescue Efforts of the Poles,” p. 256
2. ^ "About the Righteous Statistics". yadvashem.org. http://www1.yadvashem.org/righteous_new/statistics.html.
3. ^ "First Arab Nominated for Holocaust Honor". Associated Press. 2007-01-30. http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2007/01/first-arab-nominated-for-holocaust.html. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
4. ^ "Yad Vashem actual statistic by country". yadvashem.org. http://www1.yadvashem.org/righteous_new/statistics.html.
5. ^ "Holocaust Survivors and Remembrance Project - Poland". isurvived.org. http://isurvived.org/Frameset4References-3/-PolishRighteous.html.
6. ^ Robert Cherry, Annamaria Orla-Bukowska (2007). Rethinking Poles and Jews: Troubled Past, Brighter Future. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 5. ISBN 0742546667. http://books.google.com/books?id=vkLTSB7NHwgC&pg=PA5&dq=%22Armia+Krajowa%22+largest&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=dscASPzyLZjWyASY5pi1DA&sig=nedPlTyt1ENbsExRcqoi_ZeaIbI.
7. ^ "Jacques Chirac Honors French World War II Saviors". European Jewish Congress. April 11, 2007. http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=794. .
8. ^ Israel Gutman, Bracha Rivlin e Liliana Picciotto, I giusti d'Italia: i non ebrei che salvarono gli ebrei, 1943-45 (Mondadori: Milano 2006), pp.75-76.
9. ^ "Flickers of Light: Lorenzo Perrone". Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority. http://www1.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/Flickers_of_Light/lorenzo_perrone.asp. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
10. ^ "Minutes of the Sub-Commission for the Recognition of the "Righteous Among the Nations"" (in German). Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 18 April 2005. http://berlin.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?DocumentID=83056&MissionID=88. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
11. ^ Levine, Hillel (1996). In Search of Sugihara: The Elusive Japanese Dipolomat Who Risked his Life to Rescue 10,000 Jews From the Holocaust. Free Press. ISBN 0684832518.
12. ^ The Righteous among the Nations, Yad Vashem

References

• The Heart Has Reasons: Holocaust Rescuers and Their Stories of Courage, Mark Klempner, ISBN 0-8298-1699-2, The Pilgrim Press
• Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust: Genocide and Moral Obligation, David P. Gushee, ISBN 1-55778-821-9, Paragon House Publishers
• The Lexicon of the Righteous Among the Nations, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. (volumes: Poland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Europe I, Europe II)
• To Save a Life: Stories of Holocaust Rescue, Land-Weber, Ellen, ISBN 0-252-02515-6, University of Illinois Press
• The Seven Laws of Noah, Lichtenstein, Aaron, New York: The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School Press, 1981.
• The Image of the Non-Jew in Judaism, Novak, David, ISBN 0-88946-975-X, New York and Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press, 1983.
• The Path of the Righteous: Gentile Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust, Paldiel, Mordecai, ISBN 0-88125-376-6, KTAV Publishing House, Inc.
• Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust's Long Reach into Arab Lands, Robert Satloff, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, (PublicAffairs, 2006) ISBN 1-58648-399-4
• When Light Pierced the Darkness: Christian Rescue of Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland, Tec, Nechama, ISBN 0-19-505194-7, Oxford University Press
• Zegota: The Council to Aid Jews in Occupied Poland 1942-1945, Tomaszewski, Irene & Werblowski, Tecia, ISBN 1-896881-15-7, Price-Patterson
• Tolerance in Judaism: The Medieval and Modern Sources, Zuesse, Evan M., In: The Encyclopaedia of Judaism, edited by J. Neusner, A. Avery-Peck, and W.S. Green, Second Edition, ISBN 90-04-14787-X, Leiden: Brill, 2005, Vol. IV: 2688-2713
• When Courage Was Stronger Than Fear: Remarkable Stories of Christians Who Saved Jews from the Holocaust by Peter Hellman. 2nd edition, ISBN 1-56924-663-7, Marlowe & Companym, 1999

External links

• Story of Dutch Righteous Gentile Rut Matthijsen
• Polish Righteous at Museum of The History of Polish Jews
• The Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem
• Heroes and Heroines of the Holocaust at Holocaust Survivors' Network
• Holocaust Rescuers Bibliography
• Saving Jews: Polish Righteous
• Photo gallery on righteous gentiles during the Holocaust at Simon Wiesenthal Center
• Rescuers at Jewish Virtual Library
• Holocaust Memorial Budapest, testimony from the family Jakobovics in 1947
• Articles about Righteous Among the Nations
• Witness: "Karoly Szabo played a determining role among Wallenberg's supporters"
• The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
• Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State
• Site commemorating Poles who gave their lives to save Jews
• Gardens of the Righteous Worldwide Committee
• Essay: "Paying the ultimate price." Irena Steinfeldt. The Jerusalem Post, April 14, 2009.
• Films, Videos, and DVDs about Righteous Among the Nations
• Website of educational project Inidfference Hurts, workshop scenarios based on stories of polish and german Righteous
• Database about french righteous and anonymous who help them, and resistances

Categories: Righteous Among the Nations | Anglican saints

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