100th Anniversary of Irena Sendler’s Birth

At the beginning of the 1960s Israel’s Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority, initiated a large project to remember those people who, during the Second World War, risked their own lives to save Jewish lives. First, in 1962, on a hilltop in Jerusalem, an avenue of trees commemorating such persons was created (to this day over 2 000 trees have been planted). The following year a special commission was created to analyze meticulously each case, and then in the name of the State of Israel to bestow medals and titles of Righteous Among the Nations.

The term (Chasidei Umot HaOlam) was taken from the Jewish Talmudic tradition. In light of the tragedy of the Holocaust and the extraordinary sacrifice exhibited by persons who saved Jews, the term took on a new meaning and – thanks to Yad Vashem’s many years of hard work – international recognition. Today it is not only a symbol of the gratitude of the Jewish people to those individuals who gave aid to Jews, but it is also seen on a global scale as a synonym for the highest act of civilian heroism and human solidarity in the face of evil.

In Poland the communist authorities were reluctant to the idea of Polish citizens being decorated with the Yad Vashem medals, and were rather unwilling to grant permission for the Righteous to go to Israel to plant their trees. During the initial years of the program, the number of Poles awarded the title of Righteous was no more than 200, and even in these cases success came only after unwavering persistence from the Israeli side (either by those saved or by Yad Vashem). One of the first trees was planted in 1963 by Władysław Bartoszewski and Maria Kann to commemorate the actions of the Council to Aid Jews, “Żegota”. For a long time Irena Sendlerowa was denied approval to go to Israel. After the communist government severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 1967, and after the anti-Semitic campaign of 1968, contact between the two sides was almost completely cut off. It became practically impossible to petition for Polish citizens to receive medals of the Righteous because such actions were often met with harassment. And not only from the authorities. The mood in many communities in Poland was not welcoming to those who had helped Jews during the war. The actions of these people were not appreciated, and many of them felt that it was better not to admit what they had done during the war. Another serious problem was the misappropriation of the history of aid given to Jews during the war by the government. In doing so, the government attempted to weaken and reverse the negative impression its anti-Semitic stance taken in 1968 and its silence about the Jewish history, including the history of the Holocaust, had created over many years.

It wasn’t until the end of 1970s that the situation began to change, and during the following ten years approximately 1500 additional Poles were honored with the title of Righteous Among the Nations. Crucial to these changes was the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, where a special office, with the sole purpose of documenting the deeds of the Righteous and preparing applications to honor their actions, was created under the leadership of Michał Grynberg. However, decades after the war this task became ever more difficult, since due to the passage of time many witnesses and those who were saved were no longer alive.

Recognition of the Righteous became more widely accepted in independent Poland, as did the feeling of pride for their extraordinary deeds. After a series of long debates, in 1997 the Polish parliament bestowed upon them the same combat privileges as those given to members of armed organizations which fought against the German occupiers during the war. Currently, there are over 6200 names on the List of the Righteous from Poland, which constitutes 28% of all the Righteous worldwide.

Each person recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations receives a medal from Yad Vashem bearing his or her first and last name and the Hebrew inscription: “Whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe.” They also receive an honorary diploma. The names of the Righteous are added to the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem. Beginning in 1988, some of the Righteous have also received honorary Israeli citizenships.

In 1985 the Polish Society of the Righteous Among the Nations of the World was established.

Since 2007 the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland has been carrying out a program called “Polish Righteous – Recalling Forgotten Memory.” As part of the program, every year a group of Polish Righteous (as well as others who performed extraordinary deeds to help Jews during the occupation) receive the  highest of national honors from the President.