On the occasion of the United Nations 2013
observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims
of the Holocaust, two new exhibits built around the theme Rescue during
the Holocaust: The Courage to Care opened on January 22 at the UN Visitors Lobby – 1st Avenue between 45th and
46th St., New York. The exhibit
is open to the public through February 18.
Through two extraordinary exhibits, film, educational
activities and the annual memorial ceremony, the United
Nations honored those who risked their own lives to save tens of thousands of
Jews.
The World
Knew – Jan Karski’s Mission for Humanity was produced by
the Polish History Museum in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Mission to the UN. The exhibit lays out the captivating
background of Polish native Jan Kozielewski, who under the assumed name of Jan
Karski served as a courier for the Polish Underground State and informed Allied
leaders about Nazi Germany’s ongoing extermination of the Jews. Karski was a
Roman Catholic who later attained U.S. citizenship and was named an honorary
citizen of Israel and a “Righteous Among the Nations.”
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Permanent Representative to the
UN from Poland
Ryszard Sarkowicz
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“Millions
of people's lives could have been saved had leaders at the time heeded Karski's
advice. Unfortunately history took a different course,” said The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to
the United Nations H.E. Mr. Ryszard Sarkowicz. “Karski's
achievements have earned him a place in the pantheon of Polish greats and he is
regarded by Poles as one of the country's undeniable heroes of the 21st
century. His story serves as a testament
to the power of unbridled loyalty to one's homeland.”
Presented
by The
Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Whoever Saves a Single Life … Rescuers of Jews
during the Holocaust showcases some of those rare but exceedingly
important instances where people fought to safeguard their Jewish fellow
citizens during the Holocaust.
”The Righteous chose a different path – a much more difficult one. They sought to become involved and in doing
so risked their lives and often the lives of their families. For if one were caught hiding a Jew in
Eastern Europe, you were killed,” said Harvey Schulweis, Chairman of The Jewish
Foundation for the Righteous. “Our exhibition provides a snapshot of some of
the Righteous.”
Ewa Wierzyńska, Leader of Jan Karski Legacy
Program and Head of International Cooperation in the Polish History Museum
provided commentary and historical perspective.
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Harvey Schulweis of The Jewish
Foundation for the Righteous
and H.E. Ryszard Sarkowicz
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Wanda Urbanska, Robert Billingsley of the Jan Karski Educational Foundation, Mme. Consul General Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka,
Bozena Nowicka McLees, and Ewa Wierzynska - Jan Karski Legacy Program
and International Cooperation in the Polish History Museum
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