A special ceremony for the awarding of the title of "Righteous Among the Nations" by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum was held on 3.4.2025 by the Ambassador of Israel Noam Katz, to the family of Konstantinos Sfakianakis, who saved the couple Raphael and Bianca Ventura during World War II.
The event was co-organized by the Israeli embassy, the Greek Ministry of Education and the Georgios Zois Schools, in whose theater it took place. The title of “Righteous Among the Nations” awarded by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum and Foundation is awarded to non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust.
At the event, KISE was represented by Treasurer Daniel Benardout.
Israeli Ambassador Noam Katz, speaking about today's event, pointed out that it concerns rewarding people who, through their actions, have given the highest and noblest value to the word "human being". "This is the highest recognition of those who risked everything, even their own lives, to save others. History assures us that even in the darkest periods of humanity, during World War II and the Holocaust, in the face of absolute horror, there were shining examples of humanity, from those who refused to remain passive and save their fellow human beings. Extraordinary courage and selflessness illuminate the path that we must all follow. In these values, evil cannot win and that is why it is important that today's event is taking place in a School, where the spirit of young people is shaped and future generations learn what it means to stand against injustice," the Israeli ambassador said.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, George Kalantzis, said: "Today is a beautiful day, because it has a very strong message for all of us. And the physical space where this message should be given is a school because it concerns the future. To understand how important what Konstantinos Sfakianakis and his family did, we must also keep in mind certain numbers: 86% of Greek Jews were murdered during the occupation. The goal that we must have for this, and the physical space of such an event is the school, is that none of us will have to choose which side we will be on. The mission of the Ministry of Education and our teachers is to learn from the past so that we do not have to relive similar moments."
The president of the Georgios Zois Schools, Alexandros Zois, in his greeting, stated, among other things: "Today's event is a ceremony of historical remembrance, which is shockingly timely. Today we honor a family that, in the midst of the darkest era of human history, lit a small but resilient fire. The fire of humanity. The Sfakianakis family chose courage in the face of terror. At a time when the world had lost its orientation, Konstantinos Sfakianakis chose to stand up, to say 'I will not look elsewhere'. The title of "The Law of Nations" is a reminder that ethics, solidarity, humanity, know no borders, religions or nationalities. It has no military honors, it has gratitude and eternal memory."
The honorary title of "Righteous of Nations" was received by the daughters of Konstantinos Sfakianakis, Sofia and Marielli, who stated that their father is vindicated for the act he did then, "because that is what his soul wanted to do and today his soul is vindicated. We hope that today will be a beginning and that others will follow from now on."
Also present at the event was Iosif Ventouras, son of Raphael and Bianca Ventouras, who was separated from his family (he was hiding and raised in Ekali by another woman), as were his siblings, in order to be saved, and as he recalls: "After the liberation, Konstantinos Sfakianakis took care of me too, when we were reunited as a family at his home, in Agios Panteleimonas. Today I feel particularly moved that this award is being given to Konstantinos Sfakianakis, a man who has remained in my memory throughout my life as a man, truly a saint."
Yad Vashem was founded in 1953 in Jerusalem as the official authority for the remembrance of the martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust. Built at the foot of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, it includes the Holocaust History Museum, the Children's Memorial and Hall of Remembrance, the Holocaust Art Museum, sculptures, outdoor memorials such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, a library, and the International School of Holocaust Studies. Yad Vashem's mission is to preserve the memory of the Holocaust through education, documentation, research, and publications, and to pay tribute to the "Righteous Among the Nations." It is noted that to date, over 23.000 people have been honored, of which 350 are Greeks.
The event was accompanied by musical and theatrical performances by the students of the Georgios Zois Schools.
SOURCE: proto thema website, 3.4.2025