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In 1963, Yad Vashem
embarked upon a worldwide project
to grant the title of
Righteous Among the Nations
to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews
during the Holocaust. To
this end, Yad Vashem set up a public committee headed
by a retired Supreme Court justice, which is responsible for
granting the title. This project is the only
one of its kind in the world that honors,
using set criteria, the
actions of those individuals who
rescued Jews during the
war. The Righteous program and the trees planted on the
Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations have received world
coverage, and the concept of Righteous Among
the Nations coined in the Yad Vashem Law has become a
universal concept and an important symbol. As of January
2004, 20,205 people
have been recognized as
Righteous Among the Nations. In addition, Yad
Vashem has been developing a
comprehensive encyclopedia - The Lexicon of the Righteous Among the
Nations - that will eventually include the stories of all the
Righteous Among the Nations. The Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations, in
which marble plaques have been engraved with the names of the
rescuers according to country, was
inaugurated in 1996. Ceremonies in which the title of Righteous
Among
the Nations is granted are held in the Garden.
Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem
The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority
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