Two U.S. Congress members introduced a resolution honoring a Romanian “righteous gentile.” The non-binding resolution honors Theodor Criveanu, a reserves officer in the Romanian military.
It was introduced Tuesday by Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), the chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Chris Smith (R-N.J.), its ranking member. Criveanu was charged with selecting Jews for work details. He secretly issued permits in excess of his quotas, saving many Jews from deportation. In August, Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, named Criveanu, who died in 1988, one of the “Righteous Among the Nations.” The resolution “promotes education to further the understanding and preservation of the legacy of the rescue acts of the righteous gentiles who risked their lives to save innocent Jews, with hopes that, by remembering and revering their heroic acts, future generations will be inspired by their deeds.” Helsinki commissions are comprised of lawmakers who monitor human rights outside of their own countries. Also sponsoring the legislation are Reps. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.)
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