Ten more Slovaks recognised as Righteous Among the Nations

ANOTHER 10 Slovaks have received the Righteous Among the Nations award, the highest honour given to a non-Jew by the State of Israel and Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum for saving Jewish citizens during the Holocaust.

Alžbeta Petoová, daughter of awarded Arpád and Alžbeta Hajdu, Alexander Ben-Zvi and consul of Izrael in Slovakia Avital Gershon (from left).Alžbeta Petoová, daughter of awarded Arpád and Alžbeta Hajdu, Alexander Ben-Zvi and consul of Izrael in Slovakia Avital Gershon (from left). (Source: SITA)

The awards went to Katarína and František Sedláček, Imrich Kršák, Alžbeta and Arpád Hajdu, Mária and Ján Kustra, Júlia and Lukáč Brna and Magdaléna Slamková. Their descendants and relatives received them from Israeli Ambassador to Slovakia Alexander Ben-Zvi at the ceremony held in Bratislava on January 28.

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“Without nobility of those recognised tonight we would not be here, those whom they saved would not be among us, as well as their families,” Ben-Zvi said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.

Slovakia’s President Andrej Kiska said that this is a unique event for the reason that also the sense for solidarity, humanity and the will to risk one’s life and lives of one’s close relatives was unique.

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“I fully realise today how important it is not only to remember the Nazi bestiality, but also to recognise those who opposed it, those who did not hide their eyes from suffering of the others and found courage and determination to help those persecuted, though they were not Jews,” Kiska said, as quoted by SITA.

He added it is important to commemorate people who will now become the Righteous among the Nations. Head of the Slovakia's Central Union of Jewish Religious Communities Igor Rintel said that men and women who received the award on January 28 did not avert their eyes as others did.

Righteous Among the Nations is awarded annually to express respect for heroic acts of ordinary people on non-Jewish origin who risked their lives to save persecuted Jewish fellow citizens.

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Compiled by Spectator staff

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