Remembering Courage: Bulgarian Jews’ Rescue Highlighted in Chicago

Jerusalem, 15 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Chicago (BTA) – Prof. Joseph Benatov from the University of Pennsylvania delivered a lecture in Chicago dedicated to the 83rd anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II. It was a “thorough and inspiring lecture,” said the Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago, Svetoslav Stankov, who hosted the event.

Stankov commented: “The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust is a story of resistance grounded in moral values. The rescuers did not divide society along ethnic or religious lines – they stood on the side of morality and justice. Eighty-three years after the Holocaust, we must not forget that at the root of hate crimes lies hate speech. That is why we must unite to oppose all forms of intolerance. It is our duty not only to expose evil but also to set a good example. The story of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews must be shared with future generations as a lesson in courage, solidarity, and humanity.”

Elad Strohmayer, the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, US, noted: “The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews remains a unique moment in the darkest chapter of Jewish history. Members of Parliament, spiritual leaders, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens refused to allow the deportation of their Jewish neighbours. Their courage saved tens of thousands of human lives.”

The lecture was organized by the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Chicago, Israel in Chicago, and AJC Chicago.