Israeli embassy in Serbia has handed its highest award to children and grandchildren of Serbs who risked their lives to save Jews from death during World War Two.
Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, Arthur Koll, awarded the descendants of Borivoje and Grozdana Bondzic, Ljubica Mandusic-Gazikalovic and Jelica Rankovic with the “Righteous among the Nations” medals because they risked their lives to save Jews during World War Two.
“With the deepest of respect I fulfill my duty today and hand the Righteous among the Nations medals to those who risked their own lives by saving Jews during World War Two,” Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Arthur Koll said at the awards ceremony.
During the World War Two, Nazis have executed and sent to concentration camps many Jews and Serbs. The most notorious concentration camp was managed by Croatia.
Ljubica Mandušic-Gazikalovic and her daughter Jelica built a special sanctury on their house property in the Serbian Kosovo town of Prizren where the entire family of Josef Levi lived from 1941 to 1943 in order to escape the Nazi pogroms.
Kosovo Albanians were Nazi allies during WWII and today claim that Kosovo is an independent state. Very few, if any, Serb and Jews now remain in Prizren.
Upon reception of the award Jelica Rankovic broke into tears.
“I am saddened that my mother did not live to experience this moment,” said Jelica Rankovic said.
Ambassador Koll noted that “Their courage and selflessness will forever remain in our memory”.
Ambassador Koll said that hate, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism still exist “as if history has taught us nothing”, however, the Ambassador cited the example of Serbs as acts of heroism that should be “like a lighthouse showing the way to a better future.”
“Their courage and selflessness will forever remain in our memory,” Ambassador Koll said.
The title of “Righteous among the Nations” is the highest honor that the state of Israel awards to non Jews.
The names of the recipients of this award also get their names engraved at the Vad Jasim holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem.
http://www.serbianna.com/blogs/newspost/?p=1087
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