Who were the civilian heroes of World War II who rescued the Jews?

They were men, women and children; they were peasants, teachers, diplomats and clergy of all faiths. They were people who. during a desperate and deadly period in Man's history had the courage to care.

Amidst the horrors of the concentration camps and the deaths of millions, a courageous group of individuals dared to challenge the Nazi regime. In every country occupied by the Nazis during World War II, stories of rescue of Jews by non-Jews are known. They are honored as the "Righteous Among the Nations," a recognition established by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Israel.

The Avenue of the Righteous, modelled after the Jerusalem site of the same name, is located within Ingraham Park, adjacent to the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Avenue. The creation of the park is part of an ongoing effort to educate the public on the role played by Righteous Gentiles in the rescue of Jews during World War II.

The Righteous

As of 1994, the following have been honored by the Avenue of the Righteous and the countries where they were living are given in parentheses. To read their individual stories, click on their names:
Ignas and Elena Anuzis (Lithuania)
Myndert and Janny Blom (Holland)
Helena, Ignazy and Cezary Chorazyczewski (Poland)
Berendina "Diet" Eman (Holland)
Johannes "Hans" Fittko (Germany)
Stephania Hingler and Kazimierz Peirz (Poland)
Paula Huelle (Germany)
Stanislawa Kowalczyk Israelowicz (Poland)
Jan and Boukje Jeninga (Holland)
Zofia Kuklo (Poland)
Albina Kusek (Poland)
Kazimierz and Zophia Lazowski (Poland)
Katherine Lipner (France)
Jan and Anna Namowicz (Poland)
Josef and Josefa Paygert (Poland)
Kamilla Pelc (Poland)
Jan Rosciszwewski and Stephania Wiluszynska Calow (Poland)
Janina Wiluszynska Maciuba (Poland)
Chiune Sugihara (Japan)
Marisia Szul (Poland)
Peter and Adriana Termaat, Jacob Balder (Holland)
Peter Twardzik (Poland)
Peter Vlicko (Czechoslovakia)
Raoul Wallenberg (Sweden)
Andre and Magda Trocme and the People of Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon (France)
King Christian X and the Danish people (Denmark)
Jan Zwartendijk (Holland)
The Unknown Righteous

Many of these honored Righteous reside now in the midwestern part of the United States and Canada.

We have honored 38 Righteous Individuals, the people of a region, and a country. Some of the honored are relatively unknown; others, world famous. Some are Righteous People whose names and acts may never be known. Those honored here are truly heroic. By honoring them we encourage others to lead righteous lives.