Prof. Bartoszewski (left) and Israeli Ambassador to Poland Zvi Rav-Ner at medal ceremony in Warsaw: photo – PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The awards have been given by the Yad Vashem institute in Jerusalem since 1963 to “righteous gentiles” who helped save the lives of Jews.
Over 6,000 Poles have been awarded the Righteous among the Nations honour out of a total of 24,000 medals.
The ceremony on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Warsaw was attended by Ambassador Zvi Rav-Ner and former Polish foreign minister and inmate of the German Nazi Auschwitz death camp, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski.
Poles posthumously awarded included Princess Woroniecka-Czartoryski, Stanislawa Olewnik, Helena and Leon Godlewski, Maria and Micha Golba and Leokadia and Antoni Jastrzab.
The award ceremony coincided with the 70th anniversary of Zegota, an underground organisation formed in Warsaw during WW II aimed at helping Jews.
Zegota was established on 4 December 1942 as part of the Polish resistance against Nazi occupation.
The council supplied hidden Jews with funds, found them apartments and hiding places, and supplied then with false documents. (pg)
Source: www.thenews.pl