THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE HONOURS METROPOLITAN ANDRZEJ SZEPTYCKI

, 16 November 2016
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has honoured Metropolitan Andrzej Szeptycki posthumously with the Jan Karski Award, for courage and heroism which resulted in the saving of Jews during World War II.

The Anti-Defamation League is one of the oldest and most important Jewish organisations in the world. Its aim is to fight hatred and prejudice against Jews. Since 1987, the ADL has presented the Jan Karski Award (Jan Karski Courage to Care Award), which honours people who saved Jews during the Holocaust.  

Metropolitan Andrzej Szeptycki (1865–1944) was the head of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church. Together with his brother, Archimandrite Klemens Szeptycki, he provided Jews with false birth certificates and hid them on the grounds of the monastery. The Metropolitan called upon all monasteries responsible to him to hide Jewish children amongst either Ukrainian or Polish orphans. He preached to his faithful against the persecution of the Jews.

The award was accepted by a relative of the Metropolitan, Professor Jerzy Wejman.