Wahat al-Salam - Neve Shalom
The Garden of RescuersGeneral introduction
This year we chose to shine a spotlight on civil society organizations that fight for human rights. We chose the B’Tselem organization that operates inside Israel, and six Palestinian organizations: Al-Haq, the Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), the Bisan Centre for Research and Development, The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, and The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.
Why (...)
Home > Oasis of Peace > Projects & Outreach > Doumia-Sakinah: The Pluralistic Spiritual Centre > The Garden of Rescuers
The Garden of Rescuers was established to honor groups or individuals who have acted to save others in times of hardship
https://www.wasns.org/international...The Garden of Rescuers was established to honor groups or individuals, members of any nation or religion, of any minority or people in the world, who have saved men and women in times of hardship; risking their lives (and sometimes paying with their lives) in order to rescue others.
At a date close to the European Day of the Righteous (March 6), Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom presents an annual award to such individuals or groups, and this section contains reports on a number of such rewards that have so far been given. This section also traces the history of the garden back to the first meetings, which took place in what is now the Oasis Art Gallery.
History teaches us that during acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass murder, or even during attempts to murder individuals, only a small minority will endanger their lives and futures (and perhaps the lives and futures of their loved ones), by coming to the rescue of those who are in mortal danger. Rather than forget such persons and their deeds, we want to give them prominence. This is not just in order to honor and remember them personally. It is instead to preserve the memory of their lofty values and heroism as a guiding light for future generations.
The noble act of rescuing others provides inspiration and deserves honor. It sends us a clear signal to take responsibility and act in a similar manner, rather than to permit slaughter or destruction to take place before your eyes.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Atefa Ghaffoury; Ta’ayush |
| 2021 | Physicians for Human Rights; Médecins sans Frontieres |
| 2020 | The Kurdia family from Hebron/Al-Khalil for the late Mr. Issa Kurdia; Ms. Bella Freund; Latrun Abbey |
| 2019 | Azezet H. Kidane |
| 2018 | Dr. Algenesh Fesseha; Palestinians who saved Jews in 1929 |
| 2017 | Charles Aznavour (special award) |
| 2017 | Regina and Christopher Catrambone (MOAS) of Italy; Hamadi Abdesslem of Tunisia |
| 2016 | Circassian villagers |
Articles
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B’Tselem The International Rescuers Award 2023 Winner
16 March 2023 -
Yair Auron and the Garden of Rescuers
15 March 2023WASNS member Prof. Yair Auron is the initiator of the Garden of Rescuers project
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International Rescuers Awards to Atefa Ghaffoury and Ta’ayush
1 June 2022The awards were presented on March 10 2022 (to mark the annual European Day of the Righteous)
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Int’l Rescuers Day 2022
2 March 2022On March 10 there will be a special ceremony to honour contemporary rescuers.
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Upgrading the Garden of Rescuers
20 March 2021Thanks to GARIWO and the WASNS friends associations for their support for some wonderful improvements and additions.
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International Rescuers Award Ceremony, 2021
15 March 2021, by Hezzi SchousterMarch 4 2021: The Spiritual Center and the community honored the organizations Médecins sans Frontières and Physicians for Human Rights in the 2021 with the annual award for contemporary rescuers.
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Int’l Rescuers Day 2020 - awards to Latrun Abbey, Bella Freund, Issa Kurdia
17 March 2020Our awards committee focused this year on the heroic rescue of people in the framework of our regional conflict
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Int’l Rescuers Day 2019 contemporary rescuers award to Azezet H. Kidane
7 March 2019This year WAS-NS presented the award for contemporary rescuers to "Sister Aziza", for saving lives and performing humanitarian activities around the world.
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International Rescuers Award 2018
6 March 2018The award was given to Dr. Alganesc Fesseha for her work, and to Palestinians who saved Jews in the 1929 Hebron massacre.
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"Rescuers of 1929"
29 January 2018On January 10th the Pluralistic Spiritual Community Center hosted an evening to launch the new book, "Rescuers of 1929: Stories of Rescued Jews and Palestinians in Hebron and Jerusalem".
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Event honoring the singer Charles Aznavour and his family
27 October 2017Legendary singer Charles Aznavour was personally invited by WASNS member Prof. Yair Auron in the framework of the Garden of Rescuers project.
The event was organized with the participation of the Embassy of France.
The ceremony in the rescuers’ garden to award a tribute to the singer and his family for their part in saving Armenians and Jews during World War II in occupied Paris was moving and dignified.
Afterwards, M. Aznavour was invited to the auditorium, where he heard a performance (...) -
International Day of the Rescuer 2017
31 March 2017On March 7, in our newly established “Garden of Rescuers” near the Spiritual Center, we celebrated an event for two present day rescuers.
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Jews, Arabs planning memorial for forgotten heroes of genocides
16 July 2016Article in Ha’Aretz newspaper (English)
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Honoring Muslim Circassians who saved Jewish children
6 June 2016The Peace Museum organized an event to honor Circassian villagers who saved a group of Jewish children during the Holocaust.
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Forest of the Righteous - Planning Meeting
10 March 2016On January 15 the Museum conducted the first extended planning meeting for the Forest of the Righteous project.
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Honoring the Righteous: second event
9 November 2015The Peace Museum hosted members of the Armenian community in Israel and guests for abroad for a second event in its “Honoring the Righteous” series, the first of which took place last March.
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"Honoring the Righteous" Special Event at the Museum
18 March 2015On Tuesday, March 10, the event, "Honoring the Righteous" took place in the newly opened Museum.
