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Join us in commemorating

Raoul Wallenberg:

Honorary Canadian Citizen and
a Saviour of Thousands of Jews in Budapest

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This video (below) is a preview of the upcoming virtual celebration of Raoul Wallenberg, on January 17, 2021, in collaboration with Swedish Ambassador to Canada, Urban Ahlin and Hon. Consul General Lars Henriksson.

In 1985, the Canadian Parliament awarded the first-ever Honorary Canadian citizenship to a foreigner. Their choice was the late Raoul Wallenberg, who was murdered by the Soviet Secret Police, most likely in 1947.

George Preger, past Chairman of the SCCC, a child survivor of the Holocaust in Hungary, tells us more:

“Raoul Wallenberg’s story is fascinating, not only because of his daring interventions against the Nazis and the Hungarian Arrow Cross to save tens of thousands of Jewish lives, but because of subsequent events, which brought me close to this part of history. I’m a Hungarian survivor who experienced the Shoah as an eight-year-old boy in Hungary/Budapest. After escaping to Vienna in 1948, I went to school in Switzerland and England. At the age of twenty fate brought me to Sweden. I lived in that beautiful country for thirteen years and I am a Swedish Citizen. Later on, in life here in Toronto, I was active in the Swedish business community and became Chairman of the Swedish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, I was in frequent contact with the Swedish Embassy in Ottawa. The name of the Swedish Ambassador was Per Anger. Per Anger worked closely with Raoul Wallenberg as a fellow diplomat in Budapest during the Shoah years 1944-1945.
(Continues below)

“This video highlights how Raoul Wallenberg’s actions lead to saving thousands of Jews and came to be recognized for The Canadian Honorary Citizenship award.”

“Per Anger was familiar with my background. When the Canadian Parliament in 1985 awarded the first-ever Honorary Canadian citizenship to a foreigner, their choice was the late Raoul Wallenberg, who was murdered by the Soviet Secret Police, most likely in 1947.

I was humbled when Per asked me to accept the honour on behalf of Sweden at a 1985 ceremony in Toronto.

My research for this video gave me goosebumps. I realized that a close friend of my stepfather, in Stockholm, Kalman Lauer, on the initiative of the Americans, recruited Raoul Wallenberg for a crucial assignment in Hungary. My mother and I often had dinner with Mr. Lauer.

This video highlights how Raoul Wallenberg’s actions lead to saving thousands of Jews and came to be recognized for The Canadian Honorary Citizenship award.

Once these strands came together, I felt strongly this story must be told.

Please feel free to share the video with family and friends.

Yours sincerely,
George Preger

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