Past Events 2006

August 4

  • Raoul Wallenberg´s Birthday

    In USA, Volunteers and friends of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation will place flowers at the Hope monument in celebration of Raoul Wallenberg’s life at 11.30. The Monument is located across from the United Nations on an island on First Avenue and 47th Street, in New York.

    In Israel, The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation will place flowers at the statue honoring Raoul Wallenberg, located in Ramat Hachaial, to celebrate his 94th birthday. The gathering will take place at 11.00 am.

    In Argentina, The celebration will be taking place at 3 pm at the Raoul Wallenberg Statue with the participation of Architect Silvia Fajre, Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires.

    In Germany, Pastor Annemarie Werner will conduct a mass in celebration to Raoul Wallenberg’s birthday at the Veterunser Kirchengemeinde in Berlin, located at Detmolder Strase 17. The exhibition ”Ein Visum furs Leben” (Visas for Life) will be on display for the occasion.

    In Israel, the public is invited to a small gathering pm in the Jerusalem Forest, in a corner dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg. The location is on the left of the road leading to Yad Vashem from Mount Herzl and looks as follows (without the photo and plaque on the left). The gathering, which will take place at 12.00 pm, is organized by the Jerusalem Working Group – for Recognition of Major Jewish Rescuers during the Shoah.

    In Ecuador. Teachers, students and staff of the Raoul Wallenberg School in Ecuador dedicated an civic hour in honor to Raoul Wallenber on occasion of his birthday.

August 6

  • Raoul Wallenberg´s Birthday in New York, USA
    The celebration will be taking place from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. in Central Park (Entrance located at 5th avenue and 67th Street, right across the playground). The celebration will entertain and educate children through activities ranging from face painting, arts and crafts, video making, storytelling, and other games that pertain to Raoul Wallenberg. Parents and other adults will find historical information as well as live entertainment to honor Wallenberg’s birthday.

August 8

  • Panel ”The Saviors of the Holocaust” in Buenos Aires, Argentina
    The discussion, organized together with the Hannah Arendt Institute, will take place from 4 to 6 pm at Rivadavia 1479 1° D – Buenos Aires. Speakers: Dr. Elisa Carrió and Rabino Sergio Bergman.

August 9

  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Allsång på berget, Halmstad, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

August 24

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in Lassgården (Gothenburg Kommun), Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.

August 29

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in The Jewish Peace Logue, Stockholm, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.

September 9

  • Inauguration of the Raoul Wallenberg School in Stockholm, Sweden
    Nina Lagergren, Raoul Wallenberg’s sister, will officially open the doors of this new school to 390 students during a special ceremony.
  • Benefit Performance in honor of Raoul Wallenberg’s Birthday Berlin, Germany
    Organized by the Raoul Wallenberg Promotion Association with the aim of creating a Raoul Wallenberg Youth and Culture Center after the closure of the Raoul Wallenberg High School. The Center will focus on social, cultural, and political encouragement and educating young people about right wing radicalism, anti-Semitism, and racism.

September 17 & 20

  • Stage Reading of ”Wallenberg,” the musical, in New York, USA
    Based on the true story of the Swedish diplomat who saved over 100,000 lives., ”Wallenberg,” a new musical, was written by Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman (2006 Kleban Award winners), with music by Benjamin Rosenbluth, and directed by Annette Jolles. Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7PM / Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 8PM. New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street (bet. 8th & 9th Avenues). Admission is free. Reservations: www.nymf.org. For more information, go to www.wallenbergthemusical.com.

September 20

  • Presentation of the Wallenberg Award to President of Croatia, Stepan Mesic. New York
  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in Burgårdens Gymnasiumskola, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.
  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Stadsmuséet Gothenburg, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

September 22 & 23

  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Teaterstudio Lederman, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

September 28

  • Presentation of the Wallenberg Award to Jesús Colina, Director of ZENIT, Catholic International News Agency. Vatican City

October 3

  • Commemorative event to honor Raoul Wallenbergand observe the 25th anniversary of his having become an honorary United States citizen, co-sponsored by The Raoul Wallenberg Committee of New Jersey, Rider University and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. The program will take place at 7:00 P.M. in the Rider University Student Center Auditorium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Former Governor Thomas H. Kean, a steadfast supporter of the Wallenberg cause through the years, has been invited to the event. A distinguished speaker will discuss the newest findings about the fate of the ”Angel of Budapest”, an assistant will recall the excitement of working with this extraordinary humanitarian and a child survivor rescued by him will share her experiences. Ensemble and solo musical interludes will celebrate the life of Raoul Wallenberg, rescuer of 100,000 innocent men, women and children during the Holocaust, western civilization’s darkest hour.
    For more information visit
    Here

October 5

  • Raoul Wallenberg Day.
    Twenty five years ago, on October 5th 1981, Raoul Wallenberg became the second person in history to be awarded Honorary U.S. Citizenship. State Governors signed a proclamation declaring October 5th, 2006 Raoul Wallenberg Day in the States of Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey and West Virginia to commemorate this meaningful date and honor of Wallenberg’s humanitarian efforts in Hungary during World War II. The initiative followed a suggestion made by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation. This commemorative date is celebrated every year in the State of New York and was observed in the States of Nevada, Michigan, Nebraska, Maryland and Connecticut in 2005. Wallenberg Days are also commemorated around the world, from Canada to Argentina. Read article

October 17

  • Seminar ”The Banality of Good: Rescuers in Italy at the Time of Persecution” in New York, USA
    Organized together with the Consulate of Italy in NY, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Centro Primo Levi and the Center for Jewish History. Speakers: Historians Simon Levi Sullam and Liliana Picciotto. Survivors Waldo Wolf and Enzo Tayar. See the event Postcard

October 19

  • The round table ”Righteous Diplomats – Testimonies” will be presented within the context of the exhibition ”The Righteous”, with the presence of Antonio of Moncad of Sousa Mendes, grandson of Artides de Sousa Mendes; Marianne Vanney, Raoul Wallenberg’s personal assistant; and Louise Von Dardel, Raoul Wallenberg’s niece. The round table will take place at 7 pm. To register or to obtain more information please contact Memorial of the Shoah, 17 rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, 75004 Paris, France. Tel: 01 42 77 44 72 / 01 53 01 17 42 – Fax.: 01 48 87 12 50 – E-Mail: contact@memorialdelashoah.fr – Web page: www.memorialdelashoah.fr / www.memorialdelashoah.org

OCTOBER 20 – 21

  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Teaterstudio Lederman, Stockholm, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

OCTOBER 24

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in Raoul Wallenbergsskolan in Stockholm, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.

OCTOBER 25

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in Hagagymnasiet, Borlänge, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.
  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Maximteatern, Borlänge, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

November 6

  • Screening of ”The Darien Dilemma”, a documentary that narrates the story of 1,000 Jews stranded in the winter of 1941 on the frozen Danube, waiting a life-or-death decision to be taken by their would-be rescuer Mossad agent Ruth Klieger (Lady Mossad), and her colleagues in a hotel room in Istanbul.
    The function will take place at ”Makor” (35 west 67 Street ) at 7 & 9 pm. Director Erez Laufer will be present.

November 9

  • Night of Broken Glass – Kristallnacht
    On the night of November 9th, 1938, gangs of Nazi youth roamed through Jewish neighborhoods breaking windows of Jewish businesses and homes, burning synagogues and looting. In all 101 synagogues and almost 7,500 Jewish businesses were destroyed. 26,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Jews were physically attacked and beaten and 91 died (Snyder, Louis L. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. New York: Paragon House, 1989:201).

November 12

  • Screening of ”The Darien Dilemma” at the Jewish Women’s Film Festival, located at Florence Gould Hall of the French Institute, Alliance Francaise, 55 East 59th Street in New York City. The film narrates the story of 1,000 Jews stranded in the winter of 1941 on the frozen Danube, waiting a life-or-death decision to be taken by their would-be rescuer Mossad agent Ruth Klieger (Lady Mossad), and her colleagues in a hotel room in Istanbul.

NOVEMBER 14

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in The Yeshiva School, NYC , USA
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.
  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” at the Church of Sweden in New York, USA
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds. The event is open to the public and will take place at 7.00 pm. The Church of Sweden is located at 5 East 48th Street.

November 17

  • Lecture ”Raoul Wallenberg – The Unknown Hero”, including personal story by Tom Lantos, Member of the House of Representatives, Budapest
    This presentation is part of the conference ”Remember Budapest” to take place in Budapest, Hungary, from November 16th to November 19th. Presented by the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, this year the conference is dedicated to the commemoration of Jewish lawyers and jurists who perished in Hungary during the Holocaust. On-line registration to the conference – http://eventact.arnon-paz.co.il/demo/rememberbudapest/. On-line invitation and information about the conference – http://www.intjewishlawyers.org/docenter/frames.asp?id=16186¬top1=1

November 21

  • Presentation ”The Triumph of Life” in Smurfit Kappa, L. Helfwetet, Halmstad, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will perform songs and stories, including a shorter presentation of Raoul Wallenberg’s deeds.

November 25

  • Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born at 10:15 am on November 25th, 1881
    As Apostolic Delegate in Turkey and Greece after 1935, Roncalli engaged peaceably with the worlds of Orthodoxy and Islam. When World War II erupted, he risked his position and security to provide thousands of Turkish transit visas, ”temporary” baptismal certificates, and immigration certificates, authorizing Hungarian Jews persecuted by the Nazis to escape to Palestine. He also aided Jews of France, Slovakia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Italy. Roncalli not only took direct action, but also denounced before the Vatican and the Allied nations the genocide carried out by the Nazis.

NOVEMBER 29

  • Presentation ”Raoul Wallenberg’s Battle Against Evil” in Bachelors Club, Göteborg, Sweden
    Swedish folk musician Ben Olander will discuss the Holocaust and present Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, as an example of courage and what one person can do to prevent everything that comes between harassment and genocide.

December 1

  • Homage to Father Marie Benoit, New York, USA The IRWF and the Capuchin Franciscans of the ”St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church are organizing a Mass and Reception to honor Father Marie Benoit, on the 40th anniversary of his recognition as a Righteous Among the Nations. Benoit transformed his Roman monastery into a shelter for Jewish refugees and saved thousands of others by printing false baptismal certificates and gaining asylum documents from embassies. The mass will take place at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church located at 210 West 31st Street, at 5:15 pm.