medals and certificates of honor of the righteous among the nations to the late master sergeant roddy edmunds and to the late valerie sveski of poland who risked their lives to rescue jews. the holocaust remembrance authority was created by the state of israel in order to gather all information about the holocaust to commemorate, document, preserve, research and educate. when it was established, the jewish people did not forget the non-jews who stood by their side in it the darkest hours of history, struggling with the enormity of the loss and grappling with the impact of the total abandonment and betrayal of europe's jews, the state of israel made a point of remembering the rescuers. thus the law establishing this added yet another mission to pay tribute to the non-jews who risked their lives to rescue jews during the holocaust. since 1963, a public commission headed by an israeli supreme court justice -- i could say maybe that's why i'm here, but i don't think so -- has been responsible for making the decision as to who will be recognized as righteous among the nations. this title is the hi

the jewish people owe gratitude to valley and maria and louis and to master sergeant roddy edmunds. we are indebted to them because of the jewish children and soldiers who were saved thanks to their bravery. their courage was a special courage. they not only risked their own lives but the lives of their families and the life of their soldiers. there is no greater courage. god bless you all. [ applause ] >> so as we turn to the presentation of the righteous among the nations honors ceremony, i would like to invite the ambassador and the rabbi to the stage. you coming to the stage? i think they have chairs for you. it is my honor as a cousin of holocaust survivor elizabeth wilk to read the story of her rescue in poland. on july 22, 1942, the germans began the mass deportations from the ghetto. by september 21, some 260,000 inhabitants of the ghetto had been deported to an extermination camp where they were murdered. two women managed to flee from the ghetto and to go into hiding. i'm named after my aunt yanina because my father thought by the end of the war when i was born that she wa