JERUSALEM, Israel (Press Release) —The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL–JNF) on Tuesday morning held their 24th annual joint Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, dedicated to commemorating the heroism of Jews who saved fellow Jews during the Holocaust.
The annual ceremony highlights the stories of hundreds of Jews who acted with extraordinary courage to rescue members of their own faith—often at great personal risk and sometimes at the cost of their lives. To date, hundreds of rescuers have been recognized as part of this initiative, which seeks to correct the misconception that Jews did not come to the aid of one another during the Holocaust.
Among the speakers were Marriët Schuurman, ambassador of the Netherlands to Israel; Sar-Shalom Gerbi, head of the Education Division at KKL–JNF; Dr. Haim Katz, chairman of the B’nai B’rith World Center–Jerusalem; and Moshe Shapira, father of Aner Shapira, z”l, the hero of the shelter in Re’im, and grandson of Jewish rescuer Minister Haim-Moshe Shapira.
In an emotional address, Moshe Shapira recounted that according to an IDF investigation, his son Aner threw back 11 grenades at the terrorists, including two after he had already been seriously wounded. “A direct line connects my grandfather’s heroism in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust and Aner’s heroism defending other young people seeking refuge from Hamas murderers during the Simchat Torah/October 7 massacre.”
As part of the international memorial initiative “Unto Every Person There Is a Name,” Channa Arnon, a Holocaust survivor from the Netherlands and a founding member of the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers During the Holocaust, read aloud the names of some of the more than 100 of her relatives who perished in the Holocaust.
During the ceremony, the “Jewish Rescuer Citation” was presented to four rescuers who operated in the Netherlands, Poland and France. The citation—a joint program of the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers during the Holocaust—has recognized 667 heroes since its inception in 2011. The awards were presented to the rescuers’ family members by Alan Schneider, director of the B’nai B’rith World Center; Katz; and Gerbi.
The ceremony was attended by ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from numerous countries, including the Philippines, Panama, Albania, Guatemala, Greece, Poland, the European Union, and Norway, along with representatives from additional nations.
KKL–JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky noted, “On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we salute the heroism of Jews who saved their people in the darkest hours. Their legacy reminds us that Zionism is the rebirth of the Jewish people in its land, and that it is our duty to continue strengthening the State of Israel for generations to come.”
At the ceremony, Katz emphasized the importance of shining a spotlight on the heroic actions of Jews who saved fellow Jews during the Holocaust, and the need to preserve their legacy for future generations.
Schuurman said that Dutch Jews were active in key underground resistance movements, not only rescuing Jews and other persecuted minorities but also collaborating with Allied forces to fight Nazi Germany. “The Shoah was an especially dark time in the history of the Netherlands—about 70% to 75% of the Dutch Jewish population was murdered in the Shoah—the highest percentage in occupied Western Europe. These are painful facts but we must face them and acknowledge our responsibility,” Shuurman said.
The event in its entirety can be seen on the B’nai B’rith International and B’nai B’rith World Center Facebook pages in English and in Hebrew, as well as on the KKL-JNF YouTube channel.
2026 Jewish Rescuer Citation Recipients
Shoshana Jansje Litten Serlui (Netherlands)—Led efforts to rescue Jewish youth by organizing hiding places, forging documents and coordinating escape routes, while continuing underground activity until her capture and death in Auschwitz, 1945.
Ellen-Ellie Waterman (Netherlands)—Played a central role in forging documents, securing hiding places and supporting hundreds of Jews in hiding as part of the Dutch underground.
Simha Kazik Rotem (Poland)—A fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising who helped smuggle dozens of Jewish rebels through the sewers to safety and continued resistance efforts.
Paul Giniewski (France)—Operated within the French Jewish underground to distribute forged documents and secure vital support from local officials, repeatedly risking his life despite arrests.
Read more about the incredible stories of the rescuers here.
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Previous provided by B’nai B’rith International