C ommunity
COMMUNITYBRIEFS Resolution to Honor Holocaust Hero Carl Lutz
Introduced in Senate
PENNSYLVANIA SEN. BOB CASEY and Sen. Roy
Blunt (Mo.) introduced a resolution April 28 to the
U.S. Senate honoring Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat who
saved more than 50,000 people — half of Budapest’s
surviving Jewish population — from deportation to
concentration camps during the Holocaust.

While working in Nazi-occupied Hungary, Lutz
obtained permission from Nazi leadership to issue
8,000 letters of diplomatic protection. Anyone
holding the protective papers was considered to be
under Swiss protection and exempt from deportation.

Instead of issuing the papers to 8,000 Jewish individ-
uals, Lutz issued them to entire family units, ensuring
protection for thousands more Jews.

Lutz also placed 76 buildings under Swiss
diplomatic protection, where he was able to house
thousands of Hungarian Jews who had lost their
homes. Lutz’s efforts marked the largest civilian rescue
mission of World War II.

Lutz later worked in both Philadelphia and St.

Louis as a Swiss diplomat.

“With antisemitism on the rise, we must never forget
the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust and the
stories of the brave men and women who put their lives
on the line to save others from Nazi persecution,” Casey
said. “I am pleased to introduce a bipartisan resolution
to honor Carl Lutz for his act of valor, which saved tens
of thousands of Hungarian Jews from deportation to
Auschwitz concentration camp.”
Companion legislation was introduced in the
House by U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (Mo.).

Carl Lutz
Courtesy of The Mid-Atlantic – Eurasia Business Council
HIAS Pennsylvania Announces Golden Door
Awards for 2021
HIAS Pennsylvania virtually handed out its 2021
Golden Door Awards on April 28 to “those who lead
the way in support of immigrants and refugees.”
U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, who represents
Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District, was cited
for “her outstanding leadership in extending the
Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, and
support for the immigrants in our community.”
The Refugee Access Center at Snyder Church in
South Philadelphia was honored for “their continual
support of refugees and immigrants in South Philly
throughout the pandemic and beyond.”
And Lara Ali and Ali Arif, who are former HIAS
PA clients, were cited for becoming “leaders in their
community, working within the Philadelphia School
District to make it welcoming to immigrants and
refugees.” Jewish Exponent Reporter Places First in
2021 Keystone Media Awards
Jewish Exponent reporter Sophie Panzer won first
prize in the 2021 Keystone Media Awards in the
diversity category.

The entry included five stories “that inform on
diverse elements in the community, encourage diver-
sity awareness and reflect an ongoing effort to cover
inclusive integration of diverse populations within
your community.”
Panzer’s entry included “Couple Creates Ribbon
to Mourn Victims of Racism” (Sept. 10), “Original
‘SNL’ Writer Explores Comedy in Memoir” (Dec. 10),
“Phillies Pitcher Helped Integrate Baseball” (May
7), “Russian‐Speaking Moishe House Goes Virtual”
(April 9) and “Interfaith Couples Navigate Unusual
Holiday Season” (Dec. 10).

Jewish Law Day Set for 37th Year
The 37th annual Jewish Law Day will feature former
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the State of New
York Court of Appeals speaking about Jewish law and
the responsibility to perform pro bono service.

The virtual event will take place on May 24
at 4 p.m.

The day was originally honored in juxtaposition to
the Red Mass celebrated by the Thomas More Society,
but in conjunction with the Brandeis Law Society, the
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the
Greater Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, the celebration
was moved to Shavout, the time of revelation of the
Ten Commandments.

Over the years, prominent speakers have included
White House Counsel Abner Mikva; Supreme Court
of Canada Justice Rosalie S. Abella; Pennsylvania
Supreme Court Chief Justice Max Baer; professors
Melvin I. Urovsky, Jonathan Sarna and Deborah
Lipstadt; and Villanova University Professor of Law
Abraham Gafni.

JFCS to Present Notecards to Holocaust
Survivors to Recognize Liberation Day
In lieu of its annual Café Europa luncheon for
members of its Holocaust Survivors Support Program,
Jewish Family and Children’s Service will recognize
Courtesy of Jewish Family and Children’s Service
Liberation Day by delivering packets of notecards on
May 13.

JFCS Art Therapist and Art Studio Manager
Debora King collaborated with members of the
program, teenagers from its Education and Outreach
Services, and members of its People Living with
Disabilities Program “to create a beautiful piece of art
representing the concept of liberation.”
JFCS plans to directly deliver more than 100 packets
of notecards to survivors and mail an additional 400
packets to survivors in the five-county region.

“When I spoke with the Holocaust survivors,
they shared images and colors they experienced on
Liberation Day so many years ago,” King said. “Their
common theme was experiencing tremendous grief,
loss, trauma and sorrow. They shared seeing a bright
light which inspired the tunnel, flashing yellow and
light blue colors for salvation, warmer hues of oranges
and yellows for strength, and a vision of a wounded
person looking at the sky with wide arms, which I
depicted as birds flying free.” l
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
www.jewishexponent.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
JEWISH EXPONENT
MAY 6, 2021
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