Dated: July 14, 2003

 T H R E E    P A R T   Q U E R Y
ON YAD VASHEM'S "RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS" PROGRAM:

• 1. What, if any, mechanism and criteria is currently in place for rescinding a "Righteous Among the Nations" title and, how many annulments, if any, have been issued?,
  
  
• 2. Can one become a "Righteous" if that respective person (irrespective of the person's deeds), later in life, has been transformed into a hater of Jews and/or a Holocaust denier?, and finally,
  
  
• 3. Has the time not come for the Yad Vashem's "Righteous" program to be amended so that the "Righteous" title be solely based on a person's deeds regarding of that person's race, creed, or religion?

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1. In the course of our work, we came across a number of persons that have been awarded with the title of "Righteous" that we, in our summary examination, have concluded of being undeserving. Thus for us it is natural to ask whether Yad Vashem has set in place a mechanism of re-examining its previous findings. In our view such a mechanism is essential in making sure, as best as we can, that the future generations will have at their disposal an accurate record on which additional studies can be made. Perhaps no one put it better than Dr. Joseph and Adrienne Lassman of Northridge, CA, USA, who in a recent correspondence with us noted:

"There is an additional disturbing element in the broad spectrum of recording, archiving and disseminating accurate information with respect to the Holocaust. This has to do with testimony from individuals as to their own Holocaust histories that proves to be partly or entirely bogus. Given that memories of some persons may be somewhat clouded by the passing of time, others have created their stories as fiction out of whole cloth. Some of these people have exploited the empathy and sympathy of others worldwide as they ply their "trade" as victims and survivors of this terrible history. It is as serious an issue in studying the Holocaust as dealing with and discrediting its deniers.  

It is up to serious Holocaust scholars and archivists to be ever vigilant so that generations to come will have a body of work to study and from which to learn that is honest and accurate."

2. In the course of our work on the Hiram Bingham IV case, to be published herein by the end of August 2003, we came across to a rather unexpected finding (see, our Invitation for Debate of this case) in regard to the profound transformation that the Marseille experience has had on Bingham IV as being transformed into a hater of Jews and a Holocaust denier. And because of this out-of-the-ordinary finding, we were pondering what Yad Vashem's position would be to a situation when somebody in his youth did commendable deeds (say, for the sake of argument, saving Jewish lives) and then later in life, blaming all misfortunes in life on Jews and the Holocaust, has been transformed into a hater of Jews and a Holocaust denier.

3. Finally, we are sensing here in the United States a growing resentment and frustration that Jews are being excluded from the title of "Righteous" offered by Yad Vashem. Surely a humanitarian award to have an universal standing and appeal should not be based or race, creed, or religion but only on deeds. And perhaps the time has long come for the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) to amend the Yad Vashem's charters so to allow the deserving Jews to join the extended family of Righteous Among the Nations.

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