In front of a large audience composed of both parents and students who are preparing their school trip to Auschwitz, Eli Yosef managed to captivate the audience with his moving story about the life and work of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, whose mysterious disappearance, at the hands of the Soviet army, was never clarified.

His monograph presentation was accompanied by a projection of photographs and documents relating to the subject.

Schools interested in receiving – free of charge – Eli Yosef conferences on Raoul Wallenberg, please contact us at tel: 02-625 79 96. The lectures are held in Hebrew, English and French.

During October-November, Eli Yossef gave lectures in several Israeli high-school schools and Yeshivas.

In November only, he appeared before 18 years old students of the renown ”Machon Meir” (the largest and most prominent Zionist Yeshiva) and before nine graders of the Herzliya prestigious ”Smadar” Junior High School.

The main theme of Mr. Yossef’s lecture before mesmerized audiences deals with Raoul Wallenberg the man, his titanic feats to save Jews and his own personal plight after being abducted by the Soviets, never to be seen again.

In his moving address to the student, Eli Yossef pointed-out that: ”Raoul Wallenberg managed to turn tears into power….his major weapons were his love for human beings, his empathy and imagination”…”We should all use these human features in order to keep his legacy alive”.

This educational initiative will continue with full force with the intention to reach a great number of Israeli pupils and students. Joint cooperations is been forged with other factors such as the Israeli Hela group which is located in the city of Be’er Sheva.

Jean Pierre Bendahan and Rodrigo Rendo, volunteers of the programme that aims at promoting the values of solidarity and civil courage, ethical pillars of the Saviours of the Holocaust, received the award. The ”Wallenberg at School” Programme started its activities in 2001 and is sponsored by the City of Buenos Aires.

”Education is the main topic that summons us on a daily basis. We share the principles of the World Conference that deal with ”Education for everyone”, particulary the one that refers to education as the essence of any strategy that aims at reducing the levels of poverty in the world. We know that when people have greater access to education they obtain a deeper understanding of their rights”, said Edgardo de Vincenzi, President of AAPE.

Furthermore, professor Beatriz Montes de Oca, directive of the AAPE, stressed that ”We share the ideals and projects based on the value of education. That’s why we find appropiate today to renew our hope in the goodness of our work in order to remain on this noble road.”

The Programme ”Wallenberg at School” is expected to expand its presentations to more schools as of the year 2005, incorporating new pedagogical and communication tools.

Translation: Clarisa Fernandez

List of Teachers:

• Prof. Haim Avni
• Prof. David Bankier
• Dra. Graciela Ben Dror
• Lic. Rahel Hodara
• Lic. Avraham Milgram
• Lic. Natan Ofek
• Dr. Luis Roniger
• Dr. Leonardo Senkman

Academic coordination:
Dr. Mario E. Ablin

The extermination of the Jewish people in Europe by the Nazi regime and their Allies constitutes a unique historic phenomenon creating important issues for human condition, seriously questioning moral, cultural and social premises deemed strongly established in modernity.

In spite of the great impact that the Shoah has had in the creation of the collective identity of the Jewish people and in the creation and development of the modern State of Israel, the Holocaust also constitutes a tragic landmark in universal history.

The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation offered Spanish speaking people this course with the aim of creating a critical and interdisciplinary framework about the Holocaust, with special stress to the ideological – political and moral aspects of that tragic process. Special attention was given in the course to the figure of diplomats and ecclesiastic dignitaries who saved the lives of thousands of Jewish refugees during the Shoah, a group headed by archetypal people such as the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and Vatican Nuncio Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (later known as Pope John XXIII).

The course was given by a qualified group of teachers, specialized in the Holocaust.

Program

Baruch Tenembaum, Founder of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, wrote a letter to the editor, published in the Jerusalem Post announcing the Raoul Wallenberg educational awareness campaign that was to commence in the United States. His announcement was met with a desire to reach not just the United States but cover the globe with his intentions of honoring this great hero. ”This year, the 60th anniversary of Wallenberg’s capture… needs to be marked in a meaningful way,” wrote Mr. Tenembaum. ”We are asking schools and community leaders to help us raise awareness of Wallenberg’s life.”

His eagerness to reach educational programs was heard by many, but particularly the students in Kfar Saba, Israel. Teachers at Amana High School shared his message with their students and the outcome was simply amazing. The teachings that were inflicted upon the students were so awe-inspiring that some of the children actually took the time to send letters to the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation and Baruch Tenembaum, appraising his actions.

Chava Green, a tenth grader, wrote, ”I feel very strongly about the great injustice that is happening. It astounds me that a man such as Raoul Wallenberg, who had endangered his life in order to save innocent people from massacre, is now missing. How come there is such a lack of interest in his fate?” These bold words were followed by those of her schoolmate, Reut Efrati, who wrote, ”I think that it’s more important to inform people about the actions he did than just to make a day for him; it is good and important, but it is not enough. I want to hear him on the news, see more movies on him, and be familiar with his life. And I want to help you do that.”

Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, disappeared in January of 1945, after his arrest by the Soviets in Budapest, Hungary. He had gone to the country to save the lives of the many Hungarian Jews that were destined for concentration camps. Making fake passes to change Jewish identities in order to sway German Nazi Regime, and jumping on moving trains to stop the untimely death of Jewish compatriots, were only some of the noble tasks that he prevailed. When he was captured, it was said that he had saved the lives of approximately 100,000 people from death.

The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation was founded with the sole purpose of enriching lives with his story and making people aware of his honorable deeds. The outreach to the youth community is one of the largest aspirations of the Foundation and this year’s results made their efforts worthwhile. ”[Raoul Wallenberg] performed such an important service, and saved so many people that I don’t understand why any government doesn’t do anything [towards] finding him,” wrote Rena Klipper, another inspired student. ”I think it is important and it is our responsibility to make sure people do not forget what he has done.”

This response was exactly the kind of impact the IRWF strives for. The Foundation would like to thank the students of Amana High School for their eager participation and avid curiosity towards Wallenberg and would also remind them that the best way towards awareness is to keep educating, whether it be friends or family members, about our sacred hero’s strife.

In Budapest, the Rudolf Virchow High School joined Kontyfa High School in a partnership aimed at achieving the project’s goals. So far, the two schools have begun work on two vernissages to take place in both cities. Initiatives include the creation new memorials for Wallenberg in Berlin and the showcase of pictures taken during the group’s visits to Auschwitz, Birkenau, Ravensbrück, Sachsenhausen, Krakau and Budapest. Ms. Parchmann is also planning on creating a separate black room in the vernissage to exhibit a slide show and an audio installation of her impressions through the visits. The project also involves a film of student’s interviews with people close to the diplomat, such as Éva Wimmer, Wallenberg’s secretary and translator.

Ultimately, the students hope to educate people about Raoul Wallenberg and to gain more attention for his actions during the war. As Ms. Parchmann states, ”Wallenebrg does not get enough honor in German society,” fact that the students are trying to change. Ms. Parchmann also talks about a sense of responsibility and is fully committed to the subject and is committed to, ”I am willing to show others that our generation cares and is not ignorant towards history as it is told in the media. Young Germans, like our group, are willing to deal with this difficult time and we know that we are responsible for the next generations to show / tell them what happened and we want to make sure that [the Holocaust] will never happen again.”

With more educational programs like those being implemented by these schools and their teachers, students like Carola Parchmann can make a difference in their societies and help us make sure that history does not repeat itself.

Ms. Kaufman told her story to an enthusiastic full house and many students and staff members approached her afterwards to tell her how moved they were and how powerful an impact she had on them.

”She was spectacular! Her comments were powerful, eloquent and heartfelt,” said Rabbi Meir Mitelman, Executive Director of Hofstra Hillel, ”Her story is a powerful one, and the lessons she imparts are so important and inspiring.”

Raoul Wallenberg saved Kayla Kaufman’s father from a labor camp and reunited him with his wife and children, who were at the Swedish Red Cross at the time. Kayla vividly recalls the night when two men sent by Wallenberg dressed as Nazi officials came for her family.

Ms. Kaufman also visited students of Yeshiva Har Torah for their Yom Hashoah assembly. A candlelight ceremony followed her presentation.

Each day, the world loses many of the live witnesses who can directly attest to the horrors of the Holocaust. It is of ultmost importance for the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation to expose a young generation of students to Holocaust survivors to preserve their stories and a resource the Foundation gladly provides to schools and other educational institutions.

New York, NY — Jasmina Thomson, an English teacher at New Milford High School in Connecticut, takes an innovative teaching method to challenge her students’ critical thinking, research skills and sense of justice.

Ms. Thomson recently assigned special homework to her classes—to summarize the biography of a Holocaust Savior, one of those who risked their own lives to save Jews and other persecuted by Nazism during the World WarⅡ. After grading and editing, Ms. Thomson and her 45 students will donate the biographies to the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, a non-profit organization that develops educational programs and campaigns based on the solidarity, civic courage and ethical cornerstones of the Saviors of Holocaust.

Ms. Thomson, who herself has been a writing volunteer at the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation since 2005, believes that her new assignment will not only enhance her students’ writing skills and historical knowledge, but will also stimulate them to take part in the pursuit of humanitarianism. To most of her students, the assignment is their first experience in volunteering at a non-profit organization, especially the one dedicated to commemorate justice and correct injustice.

In collaborating with Ms. Thomson, the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation came up with the idea of posting the biographies on the Foundation’s website, where students can review the articles in person and feel proud of their work.

”This will be a great incentive to other instructors as well,” hopes Ms. Daniela Bajar, Director of Programs and Special Projects at the Foundation. ”Holocaust Saviors like Raoul Wallenberg, who rescued over 100,000 Jews during his six-month stay in Hungary as a Swedish diplomat, are very good vehicle to educate the importance of human dignity, liberty and justice.