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The former mayor of Jedwabne,
Krzysztof Godlewski, was the winner of this year's Jan
Karski Prize.
ZNAK - Christian Culture Foundation
FORUM, April 2002
He received the prize
"for the awakening hope, a vision of Polish-Jewish
neighborliness, and also for courage in opposing surrounding
stereotypes and prejudices.
"Karol Modzelewski, chairman
of the prize committee, presented the certificate to
him on Friday at The Belweder [presidential palace],
in the presence of Minister Barbara Labuda of the presidential
chancellery.
| Jan Karski, a courier of the Home
Army who was the first to relay to the West eyewitness
accounts of the Nazi destruction of Jews, funded
this prize in the spring of 2000, shortly before
his death in July 2000. |
Modzelewski emphasized that the
committee esteemed the former mayor of Jedwabne because
"he had the courage to oppose animosities and stereotypes
of residents of Jedwabne and of the entire nation."
He added, that he came forward "in defense of the
good name of the residents of Jedwabne and of the entire
nation."
The prize winner, expressing thanks for the honor, said:
"Undertaking the commemoration of the crime committed
in Jedwabne against Polish citizens of Jewish origin,
I felt that we were doing something useful, that will
remain in my memory and the memory of the residents
of Jedwabne. Our obligation was to assure an appropriate
place of burial for our fellow residents of Jedwabne
who were murdered 60 years ago," Godlewski said.
The Award was also given to Jacob Baker, Rabbi from
New York, whose parents were murdered in Jedwabne. Because
of his deteriorating physical condition Baker was unable
to participate in the ceremony.
Translated by Charles Chotkowski
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