Shoah commemoration group launches campaign to support dwindling Righteous
With just one percent of Righteous Among the Nations still alive, From the Depths looks to help elderly heroes who put their lives at risk to save Jews
Tali is a reporter at Jewish News
A new campaign to support elderly Righteous people has been launched for the festive season, with less than one percent of the group still alive.
With just 209 ‘Righteous Among The Nations’ – non-Jews who saved Jewish people during the Shoah – still living, one British-born activist has launched a scheme to support the elderly heroes.
As of 2019, 27,362 have officially been recognised by Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial museum.
With an average age of in their 90s, the group are highly vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.
Holocaust commemoration foundation, From The Depths, launched its online campaign calling for support to assist the group of non-Jews that helped during the Holocaust.
The project will see essential items such as masks and hand sanitizers, alongside festive gifts and a Christmas tree, delivered to members of the group. While those unable to financially help have been asked to send a card or write a letter that will be personally delivered alongside the gift boxes.
The campaign has already seen support from Amazon’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, the Israeli embassy in Poland, the Georgian and Albanian ministries of foreign affairs and Holocaust Survivors.
British-born Israeli activist, Jonny Daniels, From The Depths‘ founder, said: “We will be personally hand delivering massive Christmas packages to the majority of the Righteous, they will be filled with masks, sanitizers, and medical needs as well as Christmas decorations and lots of familiar Christmas foods and treats for them.”
Mr Daniels will be going to southern Germany to give one of the gift packages to the man who helped save the mother of Ed and David Miliband.
Edward Mosberg, Holocaust survivor and honorary chairman of the foundation, added: “I saw the worst kind of evil during the worst days, these people represent a light on the darkest times and now during their most difficult times, we can be and should be there for them.”
While From The Depths honorary president and former manager of the Israeli national football team, Avram Grant, said: “It’s our obligation to help the Righteous, it’s the right thing to do, like they did the right thing, and we are not risking anything.”
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