The President of the Republic of Poland - Lech Kaczyński

World War II and the Holocaust brought the ordinary man face to face with the necessity of making tragic decisions and choices. Being capable of facing these trials required tremendous courage. And yet thousands of people proved with their heroic conduct in those moments that even in the most inhuman of times the way in which we act towards our neighbours is the only way of measuring humanity within ourselves.

“Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering towards slaughter” – teaches the Book of Proverbs (24,11). During the years when Poland was occupied by the Nazi Third Reich this Biblical call became particularly relevant. Jewish society, numbering millions of people – citizens of Poland and other European countries – was faced with extinction. The architects of the German “organised industry of death” did their best to annihilate these people and this extermination program was not prevented by the audacity and courage of other nations through solidarity with the Jews. All forms of aiding Jews was heavily punished particularly in occupied Poland, where any help given to the Jews meant instant death.

But even during these darkest hours of the history of the last century many people, in answer to that Biblical proverb who is your neighbour, were willing to demonstrate with deeds the Bible commandment: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thou dost love thyself.

The most distinguished of them such as Jan Karski, the Polish Government emissary and Irena Sendler, known as the Mother of the Children of Holocaust have received the highest Polish decoration: the Order of the White Eagle. The Council for Aid to Jews Żegota, was also decorated by the Senate of the Republic of Poland during the 14 March, 2007 resolution.

In the name of the Republic of Poland and my compatriots I wish to contribute my mark of respect and pay tribute to them and others. At the ceremony in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, on 10 October 2007 I will inaugurate the ceremony of state decorations for all those unacknowledged and forgotten Poles, who risking their own and the lives of their families, rescued their Jewish friends, neighbours and fellow towns people. I also wish to remind us all of the foreigners who during the times ofthe Holocaust assisted Polish citizens of Jewish nationality.

The program, “The Polish Righteous - Recalling Forgotten History”, directed by the Museum of the History of the Polish Jews, under my honorary patronage, will also serve as a means of commemorating their heroism. Within this program’s framework are now gathered comparative material, photos and documents concerning the Righteous which will to be presented to the public in the near future. I am convinced that all these measures will contribute to the preservation of their memory and their deeds in the collective remembrance of both of our nations, Polish and Jewish, and in the consciousness of the people of Europe and the entire world, to be perceived as an example of the brotherhood of humanity.

From the album "Recalling Forgotten History. For Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust", Warszawa 2007