World Jewish News

"The Righteous People of the World's Nations" Award ceremony in Moscow.

The Ambassador of Israel to the Russian Federation Arkady Mil-Man presented medals and diplomas of "the Righteous People of the World's Nations". The award ceremony was a part of the meeting commemorating heroes of resistance and victims of Nazism. The evening was organized by the Embassy of Israel and the "Holocaust" Foundation. The Israeli Embassy representatives informed that this high rank "is given as gratitude on behalf of the entire Jewish people to the citizens of different countries who, risking their own lives, were saving Jews in the years of the Nazi occupation". "The State of Israel highly praises the feats of these people", stressed the Embassy representatives.
This year, nineteen Russians who had saved Jews persecuted during the war were awarded the medals. According to an Israeli law, a special non-governmental commission acknowledges and immortalizes the merits of the "World's Righteous People", reports the ITAR-TASS news agency.
Up to the present, about 16,000 people have been given the rank of the "World's Righteous People". Each of them is given a medal and a diploma, and their names are inscribed onto the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous People of the World's Nations in the territory of the Institute of Yad Va-shem. In case if the merits are acknowledged post mortem, the award is given to the closest relatives, reports the RIA "Novosti" information agency.

Источник: Sem40.ru