Weekly D'var Torah

In the summer of 1944, the fascist Arrow Cross party seized power in Hungary and the last Jews of Europe were slated for slaughter.  The incredible actions of the young Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved a hundred thousand Jews.  He defeated the fascists with nothing more than bluff, charisma and the use of the “shutz pass”- a fictional temporary Swedish green card that he came up with just to impress the officious Germans. 
 
As the Red Army tanks rolled into Budapest in early 1945, Wallenberg was summoned to meet with the Russian commander.  He and his driver set out and were never heard from again.  No one, not the Allies, not Sweden, not the Hungarians raised an outcry.  No one made any kind of formal inquiry for decades to save the great rescuer in his hour of need.  Even now, decades later, the monstrous fate of Raoul Wallenberg is a dark mystery.
 
But Wallenberg's legacy lives on.  Institutes, schools, monuments, songs and stories bear witness to his heroism.  In 1989, a group of local Holocaust survivors and supporters erected a statue in Smith Field in Parsippany and instituted the Wallenberg Scholarship which recognized Wallenberg's values of the power of one, standing up for the other, courage and compassion to make positive change across Northern New Jersey’s high schools.  Unfortunately, when Abe Aksalrad and Harry Ettlinger, the creators of the scholarship passed away, the program went on hiatus.
 
Until now.  As hate, divisiveness and antisemitism come roaring back, a small group of Parsippany faith leaders, Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Cantor Bruce Ruben of Temple Beth Am and myself, have restarted the Wallenberg Scholarship.  With the help of the Guidance Offices of the Parsippany Hills and Parsippany High Schools, we have recognized the activism, advocacy, compassion and kindness of four students with special awards. The Wallenberg Scholarship includes an honorarium, a book about Wallenberg, a United States coin minted to honor Wallenberg (who was declared by Congress as an honorary citizen of the United States in 1981) and the opportunity to speak at the Wallenberg Memorial on Sunday, August 3rd.
 
Abe Aksalarad's wife Claire joined us at the awards ceremony and we have every hope of being able to reconstitute and renew the Scholarship Board to ensure that the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg continues to inspire new generations to action.  We began this year with just two high schools.  Our plan is to expand the program next year to more.  Darkness is defeated by kindling light.  May the lessons of Raoul Wallenberg shine forth.  

Ken Yehi Ratzon - May it be G-d’s will.

Deacon Len Deo, Wallenberg Scholar Parsippany High School student Emma G. with her stepfather, Rabbi Rudin and Principal Melissa Carucci 

Rabbi Rudin presenting  the Wallenberg Scholarship to
Parsippany Hills High School student Sofia G.