International holidays - European Day of the Righteous

The European Day of the Righteous, celebrated annually on March 6, appeared in the world relatively recently The European Parliament in 2013 established this day of remembrance for people who opposed totalitarianism, dictatorship and crimes against humanity This is an International holiday, it unites absolutely all residents, calls to remember the people who risked themselves for the lives of others The Israeli museum-memorial Yad Vashem, created in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, was the first to introduce such a concept as “righteousness” among nations Moreover, initially the concept applied only to those people (not Jews) who saved Jews from the Nazis during the Holocaust, risking their lives The Nazis very cruelly punished (by death) not only the saviors, but also their families However, despite everything, the righteous continued to help and save One of the most striking examples of the righteous is, of course, the German industrialist Oskar Schindler Although officially the list includes more than 26 thousand people from 51 countries The former chairman of the commission of the righteous, Moshe Beisky (saved by Schindler), expanded the list of the righteous to all cases of totalitarianism, dictatorship and forms of genocide On the anniversary of his death, the European Day of the Righteous is celebrated as a way to honor the loyalty and memory of Moshe This day pays tribute to those who saved lives not only during the Holocaust, but also other mass murders, crimes against humanity, and genocides, both in the 20th and 21st centuries Moreover, the number of lives saved does not matter at all - thousands or just one Each recognized righteous person at the award ceremony receives a certificate and a medal, on which the famous inscription from the Torah is engraved in French and Hebrew: “He who saves one life will save the whole world” The same words were on the ring that was presented to Oskar Schindler on behalf of the entire Jewish people This is a holiday of memory and sorrow, pride and dedication, courage and valor, courage and self-sacrifice of the righteous who saved hundreds of thousands of innocent lives Completely different people, different professions, belonging to completely different social strata took part in the rescue: members of royal families and ordinary villagers, priests, fishermen, officials, diplomats, teachers, peasants, military men, artists and scientists and many others The European Day of the Righteous on March 6 united all saviors, regardless of occupation and religion, in the face of totalitarianism and crimes against humanity, emphasizing that there are no barriers to human kindness