Jerusalem - Wiesenthal Center: Chabad's Request To Honor 'righteous gentile' Smacks Of Particularism |
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(L) Admiral Canaris, commander of the Nazi AbwehrJerusalem - Chabad Lubavitch presented a request Monday to Yad Vashem to recognize a high-ranking military commander in the Third Reich as a righteous gentile for saving Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef Schneerson, the sixth Chabad rebbe.
Admiral Canaris, commander of the Nazi Abwehr, or intelligence, had a central role in securing Schneerson’s escape from the Warsaw Ghetto along with members of Schneerson’s family and entourage, said Yosef Kaminetzky, a writer who recently completed a book on the escape story.
Kaminetzky, along with Kfar Chabad secretary Rabbi Binyamin Lipshitz sent a letter of request to Yad Vashem to consider Canaris as a candidate for righteous gentile status.
“He saved the rebbe, why shouldn’t he be recognized as a righteous gentile?” said Kaminetzky, explaining why it was important to Chabad.
“What makes Canaris even more worthy of praise is the fact that he came from the Nazi leadership.”
However, Dr. Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center in Israel called Chabad’s request “problematic.”
“It smacks of a certain particularism,” said Zuroff in a telephone interview. “It is not fair to judge Canaris by a specific good deed when at the same he was in the upper hierarchy of the Third Reich.”
A Yad Vashem spokesperson said that since they had not yet received an official request they could not comment on the Canaris issue.
Chabad’s effort was based on new information revealed by historian Danny Orbach, the author of a new book in Hebrew entitled Valkyrie -German Resistance to Hitler.
Orbach, a doctoral student at Harvard University of modern Japanese history, said he has devoted the last six years to researching German opposition to the Nazi regime.
Orbach said that in 2002 he issued a request to Yad Vashem that was later rejected to recognize Canaris as a righteous gentile.
Orbach said that Yad Vashem’s rejection of the request was based on two claims: first, that Canaris did not risk his life to save Jews, rather he used his authority as a commander; second that Canaris helped the war effort and did not oppose it.
“For the sake of historical justice I believe Canaris should be recognized as a righteous gentile,” said Orbach.
“I have proof that he did risk his life to save Jews and that he also actively attempted to hurt the Nazi war effort by convincing Franco the Spanish dictator not to join the Nazis.”
Another request presented by Orbach in 2002 was accepted. Canaris’s aide Hans von Dohnanyi, who acted on Canaris’s behalf, was named a righteous gentile in 2003.
Both Von Dohnanyi and Canaris were executed by the Nazis.
Canaris was executed in the last days of the war after it was discovered that he had tried to assassinate Hitler.
He was hanged naked by SS guards on April 9, 1945 together with Hans Oster, deputy head of the Abwehr under Canaris, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed the Nazi regime.
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Read Comments (33) — Post Yours »
1
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:04 AM Charlie Hall Says:Report as Inappropriate
Canaris was murdered by the Nazis the same day they murdered Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the anti-Nazi Christian leader, who had worked in the Abwehr with Dohnanyi.
2
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:19 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
There are other stories about Admiral Canaris helping to save Jews during World War 2
3
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:39 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
I don't know the answer and I certainly don't know all the facts and history, but this raises some very interesting questions as to whether to honor a man who, while he might have done some good deeds, also was a high ranking Nazi officer and as such, also undoubtedly played some role in the murder of many and helped the Nazi cause.
4
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:48 AM HISTORIAN Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ There are other stories about Admiral Canaris helping to save Jews during World War 2 ”
this general was known to silently cooperate with us diplomats before and during the war!
5
Aug 05, 2009 at 09:13 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Admiral. It says it right in the comment you are responding to.
6
Aug 05, 2009 at 09:31 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Let a beit din decide.
7
Aug 05, 2009 at 09:28 AM Particularism? Says:Report as Inappropriate
Look at Chabad today around the world. this is happening as a direct consequence of the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe being saved and the continuation of what he did by the 7th lubavitcher Rebbe.
Chabad is everywhere helping so many people, is this still particularism?
8
Aug 05, 2009 at 09:22 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
He didn't risk his life, he only got hanged. I guess getting murdered is not risking your life because you risked it already and now your dead. He was hanged because he wanted to kill hitler yemach shemom but he didn't risk his life? Funny article.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 09:21 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
He didn't risk his life, he only got hanged. I guess getting murdered is not risking your life because you risked it already and now your dead. He was hanged because he wanted to kill hitler yemach shemom but he didn't risk his life? Funny article.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 10:06 AM Raphael Kaufman Says:Report as Inappropriate
Canaris was not a Nazi and was cordially detested by the Nazi hierarchy. He had been the head of Naval Intelligence under Wiemar and became head of the Abwehr (the German intelligence agency). He was arrested and executed by the Nazis for his part in the plot to kill Hitler Y'S. The only reason that the Nazis didn't kill him earlier was because he was very good at his job and he knew where all the skeletons were buried. I was not aware of any specific cases of Canaris helping to save Jews.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 10:26 AM MIESQ Says:Report as Inappropriate
If memory serves Admiral Canaris had Jewish ancestory which would have made any action on behalf of Jews would have been double dangerous for him.
12
Aug 05, 2009 at 10:38 AM knowitall Says:Report as Inappropriate
There is an excellent book entitled "Rescued From the Reich" written by a Princetyon historian whose name I cannot remember righgt now, who details Canaris' involvement in saving the Rebbe. He actually organized a commando of Nazi soldiers - lead by an officer who had a Jewish father - to secretly evacuate the Rebbe and his family from Nazi occupied Warsaw. It was a top secret mission - no one in the Nazi heirarchy knew of it.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 10:38 AM Askupeh Says:Report as Inappropriate
I don’t know enough to pass any judgment. First a few questions need to be anmsered. What was the reason he decided to help the Mahryatz? Why Davka the Mahryatz? Did he do it for money or out of the goodness of his heart? Does anyone know?
I also don’t know what “particularism” has to do with this. If he risked his life to save a “particular” Jew for no personal gain then he deserves to be called a righteous Gentile in my book regardless if Yad Veshem does or not. A righteous Gentile is a righteous Gentile independent of our judgments. Some we know some we don’t.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 10:51 AM Shameful Politics Says:Report as Inappropriate
Wiesenthal is exhibiting shameful politics. This is an issue of hakoras hatov. Plain and simple.
I never believed too much in these Holocaust centers who make a business of this. I believe that there is Olam Habah, and certainly Hashem will repay the officer for saving the Rebbe ; that's enough for me
15
Aug 05, 2009 at 10:58 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ He didn't risk his life, he only got hanged. I guess getting murdered is not risking your life because you risked it already and now your dead. He was hanged because he wanted to kill hitler yemach shemom but he didn't risk his life? Funny article. ”
I thought the same thing when I read this. This was someone who put it all on the line to do the right thing.
16
Aug 05, 2009 at 11:29 AM Yosh Says:Report as Inappropriate
How about eichman yms. He let the satmar rebbi escape.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 11:21 AM someone Says:Report as Inappropriate
saving one jew and killing others does not get a title righteous gentile. If one saved one jew without killing others that would be a different story.
One Needs to know all the facts. For Chabbad or others to thank him for that good deed, well thats a no brainer, but to give him a title as RIGHTEOUS GENTILE one must be that.
18
Aug 05, 2009 at 11:15 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
The historian's name is Brian Rigg
19
Aug 05, 2009 at 11:05 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
What's next? Giving eichmann a medal because he allowed some Jews their freedom (in exchange for trucks)?
20
Aug 05, 2009 at 12:06 PM Reality Check Says:Report as Inappropriate
Hakaras Hatov is typically a behavior toward a live person.
Post Humous recognition of a riteous gentile should be for the benefit of live people to learn from his deeds.
Good people are sometimes misled to participate in evil temporarily.
They usually get sick when they recognize the evil have perpetrated.
Evil people, on the other hand, sometimes do a good deed, for all sorts of reasons. Their capacity to participate in crimes against humanity, while maintaining social norms is not a sign that they are really hidden tzaddikim.
We don't usually honor people who devoted significant energy to evil.
There's no mesorah for giving credit to nevuchadnetzar for saving Yavneh v'chachameha. The credit goes to the tzaddik who orchestrated it, and to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for allowing it to succeed.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 12:22 PM Esther Says:Report as Inappropriate
I don't see that any official Chabad organization (other than a Chabad historian and the mayor of the Chabad village) asked for this honor to be bestowed.
If it was official it would come from some more familiar names like Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Rabbi Benjamin Klein, Rabbi Leibel Groner or Rabbi Levi Shemtov.
22
Aug 05, 2009 at 12:29 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Adm. Canaris was involved on the war front and not with the SS or SA groups who were responsible for carrying out the Holocaust. Not all German soldiers fighting for the Nazi Regime were guilty or participated in the Holocaust. Majority of the German military on the war fronts did not know about the Holocaust plans openly. Other Nazi officers like Captain Wilm Hosenfeld have been awarded the Righteous Gentile title by Yad Vashem for saving Jews.
23
Aug 05, 2009 at 12:58 PM Avrohom Abba Says:Report as Inappropriate
Hello Yad Vashem!
Did your executive officers kill Hitler? Did you even try to? Of course not.
This man did try. How many people on this planet tried to personally kill that pile of waste maggot called, "Hitler?" For that alone, Admiral Canaris is a hero.
Wake up and add his help to the Lubavitch community worldwide although inadvertent, as further reason to award him hero status.
Big deal, so you learned the word, "particularism."
Do you have a quota??
Someone has to save 351 jews? Or is it 19 Jews?
Come up and see what gifts our people were given, and openly appreciate the messengers of those gifts.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 01:45 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Hello Yad Vashem!
Did your executive officers kill Hitler? Did you even try to? Of course not.
This man did try. How many people on this planet tried to personally kill that pile of waste maggot called, "Hitler?" For that alone, Admiral Canaris is a hero.
Wake up and add his help to the Lubavitch community worldwide although inadvertent, as further reason to award him hero status.
Big deal, so you learned the word, "particularism."
Do you have a quota??
Someone has to save 351 jews? Or is it 19 Jews?
Come up and see what gifts our people were given, and openly appreciate the messengers of those gifts. ”
There were even vicious Jew-hating Nazis who tried to kill Hitler. I was just reading about them the other day.
25
Aug 05, 2009 at 01:18 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
If Canaris was not a high ranking official Hitler would have undoubtedly invaded and conquered Spain, leading to to Nazi domination of the mediterannean, and quite possibly winning or at least forcing some acceptance of the Nazi power. If he could save only one Jew who are we to judge? That was an incredibly brave act, and I for one am convinced with what evidance I know that he was working to destroy the Nazi regime from the inside.
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Aug 05, 2009 at 05:40 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ If Canaris was not a high ranking official Hitler would have undoubtedly invaded and conquered Spain, leading to to Nazi domination of the mediterannean, and quite possibly winning or at least forcing some acceptance of the Nazi power. If he could save only one Jew who are we to judge? That was an incredibly brave act, and I for one am convinced with what evidance I know that he was working to destroy the Nazi regime from the inside. ”
Spain had been already invaded and conquered by the united forces of Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, the frankist rebels and the Moroccan mercenaries from 1936 to 1939 (Spanish Civil War). "Although the United States was officially neutral and popular American sentiment was very much with the Republican cause, major American corporations such as Texaco, General Motors, Ford Motors and Firestone greatly assisted the Nationalist rebels with their constant supply of trucks, tires, machine tools and fuel." (Wikipedia)
Spain was under Franco's fascist dictatorial regime during the time in question.
27
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:16 PM CF Says:Report as Inappropriate
Canaris is a complex historical character and his various biographers admit that he is a hard cypher to crack. Unlike many other German resistance officers, he did not really fulfill his official role in the military machine. He sabotaged Hitler at several turns (Spain, Yugoslavia, freeing certain Jews, providing cover for anti-Hitler officers in the Abwehr). He certainly put his life at risk but not only to save Jews. He put it at risk every time he conspired against Hitler. He may not be one of the righteous per the standards of the 'club' but he was clearly an important cog in the resistance wheel. He has my respect.
28
Aug 05, 2009 at 08:35 PM OMG Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Adm. Canaris was involved on the war front and not with the SS or SA groups who were responsible for carrying out the Holocaust. Not all German soldiers fighting for the Nazi Regime were guilty or participated in the Holocaust. Majority of the German military on the war fronts did not know about the Holocaust plans openly. Other Nazi officers like Captain Wilm Hosenfeld have been awarded the Righteous Gentile title by Yad Vashem for saving Jews. ”
You are wrong, most solders in the Wehrmacht were familiar with the atrocities that was going on in the newly occupied areas, it is a known fact that the SS cane right behind the Wehrmacht and killed or deported the undesirable. However, I would agree, if a Wehrmacht officer was not directly evolved in the physical exterminations and helped a Jew to escape, without a direct benefit, he is entitled to be awarded the Righteous Gentile title, Adm. Canaris poses some real questions, an Wehrmacht soldier was only doing his duty as an officer, however, Adm. Canaris was in the in top Nazi’s circle, he personally was responsible for delaying our victory over the Third Reich, definitely a dilemma.
29
Aug 06, 2009 at 06:53 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
I believe he was one of the Mishlings already in the military, that was "kashered" by Hitler to remain. There is a copy of the document in the book "rescued from the reich."
30
Aug 06, 2009 at 12:39 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
This "Righteous Gentile" business is getting ridiculous. Its one thing if someone currently alive is recognized by a Jewish person as his/her rescuer and appropriately acknowledged but to start with a controversial figure no longer alive? The whole thing is too much like the Catholics who argue about making people "saints." Further, and no one raises this issue, if he could arrange the rescue of one group from occupied Warsaw, why not others?
31
Aug 06, 2009 at 11:52 AM Levoinoo Zockoo Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ This "Righteous Gentile" business is getting ridiculous. Its one thing if someone currently alive is recognized by a Jewish person as his/her rescuer and appropriately acknowledged but to start with a controversial figure no longer alive? The whole thing is too much like the Catholics who argue about making people "saints." Further, and no one raises this issue, if he could arrange the rescue of one group from occupied Warsaw, why not others? ”
The "Rightous Gentile" title is not a buisiness but a true factual description of a person, regardless if he/she is alive or died two thousand years ago. To me Jeane Kirkpartrick is a rightous gentile, maybe Jack Kemp and Al De'amato could also be called Rightous Gentiles. It is like calling someone a Tzaddik. Who decides that? I and you decide it, and sometimes the world decides it. To Lubavitch just that he saved the Lubavitcher Rebbe is enough to make him a rightous gentile. Maybe.
32
Aug 06, 2009 at 10:46 AM Levi B Says:Report as Inappropriate
Yes, Admiral Canaris did risk his own life when he was rescuing Rabbi Shneerson and a group of his hassidim out of Nazi occupied Poland. He kept this operation a complete secret from SS. His people were also involved in smuggling the Gerrer Rebbe out of Poland to Italy. Allegedly Canaris was reponsible with providing exact information of whereabouts and security details of Reinhard Heydrich to the Chech resistance. As a result of this action Heydrich was assasinated. Heydrich was the head of SS and chosen by Hitler take over his leadership. It was Heydrich who coordinated Kristallnacht operations around Germany. Einsatzgruppen (German: "task forces", "special-ops units") were paramilitary groups formed under the direction of Reinhard Heydrich and operated by the Schutzstaffel (SS) before and during World War II.Heydrich chaired the Wannsee Conference, at which he presented to the heads of a number of German Government departments a plan for the deportation and transporting of 11 million Jewish people from every country in Europe to be worked to death or outright killed in the East. Admiral Canaris was shocked by Nazi atrocities against Jews and The Nuremburg Trials reveal Canaris’s strenuous efforts in trying to put a stop to the crimes of war and genocide committed in Russia by Reinhard Heydrich’s Einsatzgruppen forces.
It is also revealed that Canaris prevented the killing of captured French officers in Tunisia just as he saved hundreds of Jews during the war. In one instance he saved seven Jews from being sent to a concentration camp and certain death by going personally to Himmler, complaining that his Gestapo was arresting his agents. The seven were turned over to the Abwehr and taught a few codes, then smuggled out of Germany. Admiral Canaris passed information about Nazi atrocities to the Papal representative and Britich intelligence. I die for my fatherland. I have a clear conscience. Shortly before his execution Admiral Wilhelm Canaris said: "I only did my duty to my country when I tried to oppose the criminal folly of Hitler.” Such a man does deserve to be honoured.
33
Aug 07, 2009 at 12:42 PM Askupeh Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Yes, Admiral Canaris did risk his own life when he was rescuing Rabbi Shneerson and a group of his hassidim out of Nazi occupied Poland. He kept this operation a complete secret from SS. His people were also involved in smuggling the Gerrer Rebbe out of Poland to Italy. Allegedly Canaris was reponsible with providing exact information of whereabouts and security details of Reinhard Heydrich to the Chech resistance. As a result of this action Heydrich was assasinated. Heydrich was the head of SS and chosen by Hitler take over his leadership. It was Heydrich who coordinated Kristallnacht operations around Germany. Einsatzgruppen (German: "task forces", "special-ops units") were paramilitary groups formed under the direction of Reinhard Heydrich and operated by the Schutzstaffel (SS) before and during World War II.Heydrich chaired the Wannsee Conference, at which he presented to the heads of a number of German Government departments a plan for the deportation and transporting of 11 million Jewish people from every country in Europe to be worked to death or outright killed in the East. Admiral Canaris was shocked by Nazi atrocities against Jews and The Nuremburg Trials reveal Canaris’s strenuous efforts in trying to put a stop to the crimes of war and genocide committed in Russia by Reinhard Heydrich’s Einsatzgruppen forces.
It is also revealed that Canaris prevented the killing of captured French officers in Tunisia just as he saved hundreds of Jews during the war. In one instance he saved seven Jews from being sent to a concentration camp and certain death by going personally to Himmler, complaining that his Gestapo was arresting his agents. The seven were turned over to the Abwehr and taught a few codes, then smuggled out of Germany. Admiral Canaris passed information about Nazi atrocities to the Papal representative and Britich intelligence. I die for my fatherland. I have a clear conscience. Shortly before his execution Admiral Wilhelm Canaris said: "I only did my duty to my country when I tried to oppose the criminal folly of Hitler.” Such a man does deserve to be honoured.
”
If it is as you say then surely he deserves the title "Rightous Gentile". You need to make this case before them.