Honoring the Righteous Among the Nations

The Righteous Among the Nations (RATN) designation is awarded to non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives and the lives of their families to rescue Jews during the Holocaust. Rescue took many forms including: hiding Jews in the rescuers’ home or on their property, providing false paper and identities, and smuggling or assisting Jews to escape. The Righteous came from many different countries, religions, and backgrounds.

Despite these desperate times, the Righteous chose to protect Jews at great risk to themselves and their families. When many collaborated with the Nazis or turned a blind eye to the mass deportation and systematic murder of Jews, these individuals, guided by their moral convictions, demonstrated that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary courage.

Commemoration

The medal of the Righteous bears a quote from the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5): “Whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe.” We understand this when we see the families of survivors today as they stand proudly with their children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Now, more than 80 years after the Holocaust, these awards are presented to the descendants of the Righteous Among Nations.