• International Holocaust Remembrance Day

In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 (the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau) as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an annual day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi era. The Holocaust and the United Nations outreach program seeks to remind the world of the lessons to be learnt from the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide. The “Holocaust Remembrance” resolution also designates 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. For more information visit www.un.org/holocaustremembrance.

January 17

• Anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s Disappearance

Backed by the War Refugee Board, an organization that was headed by President Franklin Roosevelt, Raoul Wallenberg traveled to Budapest in 1944 with the aim of rescuing what was left of the Hungarian Jewry. Wallenberg was responsible for the survival of tens of thousands of people before his mysterious disappearance by the Soviet Army on January 17, 1945. Despite several accounts of his status as a prisoner over the years, the Soviet and now Russian government has yet to produce a satisfactory explanation as to Wallenberg’s fate and whereabouts

• Raoul Wallenberg Day in Canada

In 1985 Canada declared January 17 as Raoul Wallenberg Day, a day to remember the victims of the Holocaust and the heroes who fought against this genocide. Junior School

January 9 and 13

• World Premiere of the film The Rescuers

The Palm Springs International Film Festival will premiere this riveting documentary from Emmy-winning filmmaker Michael King. The film traces the journey of Stephanie Nyombayire, a young Rwandan anti-genocide activist who
teams up with Sir Martin Gilbert, the renowned Holocaust historian, to travel across 15 countries and three continents interviewing survivors and descendants of 13 diplomats who rescued tens of thousands of Jews from the
unspeakable horrors of the Nazi death camps. While Nyombayire embarks upon this quest in an effort to uncover potential solutions for the ongoing genocide in Darfur and elsewhere, what emerges from their journey is more a
testament to the ways in which the inherent good in the human spirit can trump institutional evil no matter what the circumstance. Screenings will take place at the Palm Canyon Theatre, located at 538 North Palm Canyon, Palm Springs, California. Visit the Festival’s website for more information www.psfilmfest.org. In the meantime, watch the trailer at the film’s official website at www.rescuersdoc.com.

January 11

• Wallenberg Survivor discusses his memoir Not a Victim!

Not a Victim!: Tales of Survival in Budapest is a first-hand account of Thomas Weisshaus’ experiences as a teenager during the Nazi occupation of Budapest in 1944-45. This memoir is based on Mr. Weisshaus’ presentations to schools and organizations throughout the New England area and was edited by Deborah Barry. The discussion and book signing will take place at RiverRun Bookstore – located at 20 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 – on January 11, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. In the meantime, we invite you to read an excerpt of the book at http://www.notavictim.net/excerpt.htm and an interview with Thomas Weisshaus at http://www.raoulwallenberg.net/es/wallenberg/testimonie/interviews/thomas-weisshaus/. The interview was conducted by Spanish artist Felix de la Concha as part of his larger series of interviews he has done with Holocaust survivors while simultaneously painting their portraits.