Still missing: Wallenberg on his 97th birthday

By Michael Orbach

Issue of August 14, 2009 / 24 Av 5769

Over sixty years later, the Jews saved by Raoul Wallenberg during World War II are still looking for their savior. Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, provided passports to tens of thousands of people during the war. In 1945, he was captured by the Red Army and never heard from again. On August 4th the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation held events across the world to celebrate what would have been his 97th birthday.

During the war, 77 year-old Manhattan resident George Schwarz’s family was saved with a passport from the Swedish consulate. He recalled how his mother, about to be deported by Hungarian authorities, was personally rescued by Wallenberg.

“There was this man in a suit and we knew it was Wallenberg,” Schwarz said. “He personally came with a few cars and he took them to Budapest. My mother showed up at one o’clock. I wanted to thank this wonderful man.”

More than 27,000 people have already signed a petition to be sent to the president of the Russian Federation seeking the truth behind what happened to Wallenberg, according to the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation. While Wallenberg’s fate is still uncertain, Schwarz says that Wallenberg’s message is clear:”Sometimes under the most dire conditions a human being can do so much if he puts his effort and mind to it.”