Deputy Chief of Mission Dan Lawton spoke at a luncheon honoring the heroism of Polish Righteous who saved Jews during the Holocaust and Nazi Germany’s occupation of Poland. Sponsored by the New York-based Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR), the event at POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw honored the estimated 61 Polish Righteous living in Poland.
DCM Lawton said, ”Government alone cannot root out antisemitism and hate. It is up to every individual to strive to live up the example of the Righteous. In the words of President Biden: “Let us join hands across faiths, races, and backgrounds to make clear that evil will not win; hate will not prevail; and antisemitism will not be the story of our time.”
Other speakers included Israeli Ambassador Dr. Yacov Livne, Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, Dr. Anna Stupnicka-Bando, President of the Polish Society of the Righteous, Jolanta Gumuła, Vice-Director, POLIN Museum and Dr. Mateusz Szpytma, Deputy Director, National Institute of Remembrance. The Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression decorated JFR’s Executive Vice-President Stanlee Stahl with the “The Pro Patria” Medal.
The Embassy partners with the JFR (which preserves the memory and legacy of the rescuers and supports Righteous in 11 countries) on a range of Holocaust education, research and remembrance programming.
Stanlee Stahl, JFR’s Executive Vice-President and Dr. Anna Stupnicka-Bando, President of the Polish Society of the Righteous Among the Nations (Photo: Magdalena Starowieyska)
Dan Lawton, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Warsaw (Photo: Magdalena Starowieyska)
Magdalena Sawka, The Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, decorating Stanlee Stahl with the Pro Patria medal (Photo: Magdalena Starowieyska)
Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN (Photo: Magdalena Starowieyska)
