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A group of Poles who saved Jews during the Holocaust looking on during a honoring ceremony in Warsaw, Poland. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 10/10/2007
Poland honors 53 who risked lives to save Jews in World War II
By Lisa Zilberpriver, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Nobel Peace Prize, awards 

Polish President Lech Kaczynski on Wednesday led a ceremony at Warsaw's National Opera House honoring individuals who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust, many of whom already hold the Righteous Among the Nations award bestowed by the Yad Vashem Holocaust authority.

Wilm Hosenfeld, a German officer who helped save Szpilman, Polish-Jewish musician and subject of Roman Polanski's Oscar winning film, The Pianist, also received a posthumous award, presented to his grandchildren by Kaczynski.

Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev thanked some 53 awardees on behalf of Israel, after each was escorted to the stage by two Polish children, one Jewish and one Catholic.
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"You were lonely and isolated and frightened. You have proven to us that it is within each of us to fight evil. The Jewish people will forever remember you and the lessons you have taught us," Shalev said.

U.S.-based Jewish lawyer Michael Traison, who attended the ceremony, told Haaretz that the Polish presidents' address elicited an emotional response among the 2000-strong crowd.

"Again today (Kaczynski) sounded more like the president of the Jewish people than of Poland. As right wing as may be his followers, this man has a passion for our people that he does not try to tone down in his public statements," Traison said.

Czechoslovakia on Tuesday bestowed its highest military decoration upon a Briton who helped hundreds of Jewish children avoid being sent to Nazi concentration camps.

Sir Nicholas Winton, 98, was awarded the Cross of Merit of the 1st class by Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova for saving 669 Czechoslovak children from death by organizing train transport from Prague through Germany to London at the outbreak of the war in 1939. The children reached foster parents in England and Sweden.

"I am completely overwhelmed that this should happen to me for something I did before most of you were born," Winton said during a ceremony at the defense ministry. Winston has been honored by Czech and British authorities in the past and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said Tuesday he would nominate Winton for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Web sites specializing in betting Tuesday nominated a Polish Holocaust heroine among favorites to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Irene Sendler was honored earlier this year in Poland for her role in saving 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis in Warsaw.

The committee was due to name the winner of the $1.53 million prize on Friday.

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  1.   Poland and Israel too 14:26  |  Uzi 10/10/07
  2.   Rememberance of dead heros ... 14:59  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  3.   Kaczynski is a Hypocrite 15:10  |  Historian 10/10/07
  4.   # 3 16:36  |  Abu Yusuf 10/10/07
  5.   Positive 16:44  |  john bull 10/10/07
  6.   Please read your history 17:14  |  Alex Bajan 10/10/07
  7.   Please read your history 17:15  |  Alex Bajan 10/10/07
  8.   polish saints 17:25  |  sweis Melbourne 10/10/07
  9.   53 not 20!!!!!!!!! 17:51  |  Jakub 10/10/07
  10.   Thank you sweis Melbourne 18:12  |  Jack 10/10/07
  11.   to Swiss Melbourne 18:58  |  Justine 10/10/07
  12.   #8 Polish Saints comment by Sweis Melbourne 19:19  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  13.   Ref comment from the so called "Historian" 19:21  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  14.   Ref comment from the so called "Historian" 19:38  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  15.   Better still 20:57  |  Alan the real one 10/10/07
  16.   Mr Melbourne is right 21:11  |  leucippe 10/10/07
  17.   Poland and Jews 21:37  |  No name 10/10/07
  18.   To #15 Alan the real one 21:44  |  Jack 10/10/07
  19.   Alan Real One USA - comments to his" better still" p. letter 22:01  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  20.   To #16 leucippe 22:03  |  Jack 10/10/07
  21.   #16 Mr Melbourne is right ... I`m sorry, he is not .. 22:12  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  22.   Czechoslovakia 22:19  |  Eli 10/10/07
  23.   #16 Mr Melbourne is right ... I`m sorry, he is not .. 22:29  |  HealingTime 10/10/07
  24.   leucipe 22:55  |  sweis Melbourne 10/10/07
  25.   To Jakub No. 9 23:04  |  dovale 10/10/07
  26.   "No name", a propos M.Edelman :Wife of Prof.Hirshorn 23:18  |  Absolute Sweden 10/10/07
  27.   It was about time ! 23:56  |  Alex Ensor 10/10/07
  28.   #24 Melbourne alleges .. 00:14  |  HealingTime 11/10/07
  29.   to sweis Melbourne 00:34  |  Justine 11/10/07
  30.   to sweis Melbourne2 00:54  |  Justine 11/10/07
  31.   Jack 01:57  |  sweis Melbourne 11/10/07
  32.   #27 Melbourne - to Jack 11:11  |  HealingTime 11/10/07
  33.   Ex- collaborators????? 13:09  |  Jim Liszewski 11/10/07
  34.   Liszewski 19:25  |  sweis Melbourne 11/10/07
  35.   justine 23:22  |  sweis Melbourne 11/10/07
  36.   to sweis Melbourne 00:47  |  Justine 12/10/07
  37.   to sweis - and what about Pratt... 05:12  |  Justine 12/10/07
  38.   ex-collaborators???? 06:44  |  liszewski 13/10/07
  39.   You would not be able to find even ten Jews who were 16:18  |  Alfred 14/10/07
  40.   #15 Are you real Alan ? 22:20  |  American 06/12/07
  41.   #34 Sweis Melbourne : What about Jewish communist ... 22:40  |  American 06/12/07
  42.   To dovale #25 (Lodz football culture) 23:42  |  Alexander Malinowski 29/01/08
  43.   For a western reader, who has little idea about situation in Pola 21:07  |  Alex Bajan 22/02/08
  44.   Polish Jew 04:58  |  Michelle 17/04/09
  45.   healing time 05:11  |  Michelle 17/04/09
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