Why is the title of Righteous awarded only to rescuers of Jews, and not to members of the resistance who fought against Nazi Germany?
Yad Vashem’s mission is Holocaust commemoration, documentation, research and education. Not only Jews were victimized by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, but Yad Vashem, as the Jewish people’s memorial to the Six Million, focuses on the Holocaust – the unique attempt to murder every single Jew only because he was born Jewish. Within this mandate, the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) also defined the Righteous Among the Nations as non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. There were many instances of courageous resistance to the Nazis and their collaborators. These brave people deserve to be honored, and this is done in most cases by their countries and organizations.
Related Questions
- Why is the title of Righteous awarded only to rescuers of Jews, and not to members of the resistance who fought against Nazi Germany?
- Why isn the title of Righteous awarded to people who helped the Jews or the State of Israel at other moments in Jewish history?
- Are all rescuers of Jews entitled to receive the title of Righteous Among the Nations?
