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Righteous Among the Nations

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This article discusses the title in relation to the Shoah. See Virtuous pagan for the theological concept and Ger toshav ("Righteous gentile") for the concept in historical Judaism.
Righteous
Among the Nations
By country

Righteous Among the Nations (Template:Lang-he-n, khasidi umót ha'olám "righteous (plural) of the world's nations") 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 rabbinic Judaism to refer to non-Jews, as ger toshav and ger tzedek, who abide by the Seven Laws of Noah.

Bestowing

A Righteous Among the Nations awarding ceremony in the Polish Senate (2012)
Righteous Medal for Marta Bocheńska
Righteous Diploma for Maria Kotarba

When Yad Vashem, the Shoah 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 is 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 meets the criteria. Those criteria are:[1]

  • Only a Jewish party can put a nomination forward;
  • Helping a family member or Jew convert to Christianity is not a criterion for recognition;
  • Assistance has to be repeated and/or substantial; and
  • Assistance has to be given without any financial gain expected in return (although covering normal expenses such as rent or food is acceptable).

The award has been given without regard to the social rank of the helper. For example, it has been given to Princess Alice of Battenberg, Queen Mother Helen of Romania and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium and to the most humble people without distinction.

A person who is recognized as "Righteous" for having taken risks to help Jews during the Holocaust is awarded a medal in their 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 authorizes Yad Vashem "to confer honorary citizenship upon the Righteous Among the Nations, and if they have died, the commemorative citizenship of the State of Israel, in recognition of their actions". Anyone who has been recognized as "Righteous" is entitled to apply to Yad Vashem for the certificate. If the person is no longer alive, their next of kin is entitled to request that commemorative citizenship be conferred on the "Righteous" 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. In total, 28,217 (as of 1 January 2022)[2] men and women from 51 countries have been recognized,[2] amounting to more than 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 evidence that meets the criteria.[3]

Number of awards by country

As of January 1, 2016, the award has been made to 26,120 people.[2]

Rank Country Number of awards
1  Poland 6,620
2  Netherlands 5,516
3  France 3,925
4  Ukraine 2,544
5  Belgium 1,707
6  Lithuania 889
7  Hungary 837
8  Italy 671
9  Belarus 618
10  Germany 587
11  Slovakia 558
12  Greece 328
13  Russia 197
14  Latvia/ Serbia 135
16  Croatia/ Czech Republic 115
18  Austria 106
19  Moldova 79
20  Albania 75
21  Norway 62
22  Romania 60
23   Switzerland 47
24  Bosnia and Herzegovina 42
25  Armenia 24
26  Denmark 22
27  United Kingdom 21
28  Bulgaria 20
29  Macedonia/ Sweden 10
31  Slovenia/ Spain 7
33  United States 5
34  Estonia/ Portugal 3
36  Brazil/ Republic of China/ Indonesia 2
38  Chile/ Cuba/ Ecuador/ Egypt/
 El Salvador/ Georgia/ Ireland/ Japan/
 Luxembourg/ Montenegro/ Turkey/ Vietnam		 1

Veneration

The "Righteous" are honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the US on 16 July. A "Righteous" from Italy, Edward Focherini, was beatified by the Catholic Church on 15 June 2013.[4]

In 2015, Lithuania's first street sign honoring a Righteous Among the Nations was unveiled in Vilnius.[5] The street is named Simaites Street, after Ona Šimaitė; she was a Vilnius University librarian who helped and rescued Jewish people in the Vilna Ghetto.[5]

Righteous in Israel

At least 130 "Righteous Gentiles" have settled in Israel. They were welcomed by Israeli authorities, and were granted citizenship. In the mid-1980s, they became entitled to special pensions. Some of them settled in British Mandatory Palestine before Israel's establishment shortly after World War II, or in the early years of the new state of Israel, while others came later. Those who came earlier often spoke fluent Hebrew and have now integrated into Israeli society.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Gunnar S. Paulsson, “The Rescue of Jews by Non-Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland”, 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. ^ a b c "About the Righteous: Statistics". Names of Righteous by Country. Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. ^ "First Arab Nominated for Holocaust Honor". Associated Press. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2007.
  4. ^ "Odoardo Focherini: Late journalist, hero and Blessed of the Catholic Church". Rome Reports. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Lithuania's first street honoring Holocaust Righteous unveiled in Vilnius | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jta.org. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Story in ''The Forward'' re Righteous Gentiles who settled in Israel". Forward.com. Retrieved 6 September 2013.

Bibliography

  • 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, ASIN B00071QH6S.
  • 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 & Werbowski, 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 Jacob Neusner, A. Avery-Peck, and W.S. Green, Second Edition, ISBN 90-04-14787-X, Leiden: Brill Publishers, 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.
  • Rescue and Flight: American Relief Workers Who Defied the Nazis, Subak, Susan Elisabeth, University of Nebraska Press, 342 pp., 2010.
  • Ugo G. Pacifici Noja e Silvia Pacifici Noja, Il cacciatore di giusti: storie di non ebrei che salvarono i figli di Israele dalla Shoah, Cantalupa Torinese, Effatà, 2010, (in Italian), ISBN 978-88-7402-568-8.
  • Paul Greveillac, Les fronts clandestins : quinze histoires de Justes (in French), Nicolas Eybalin publishing, 2014 (ISBN 978-2-36665-000-6).
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