By COLlive reporter
U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was thanked for supporting the legislation to award Raoul Wallenberg with a Congressional Gold Medal.
The House of Representatives recently passed the bill by a vote of 377- 0 in favor to honor that Swedish diplomat who led an successful mission to save the lives of nearly 100000 Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary.
Ezra Friedlander, the person behind the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission, credited Pelosi with helping the bill pass.
“It is not well known but Pelosi grew up in a family that was extremely active in highlighting the plight of European Jewry,” said Friedlander who is CEO of The Friedlander Group.
Pelosi’s father was Thomas J. D’Alesandro, Jr. a U.S. Representative from Maryland’s 3rd congressional district and subsequently the mayor of Baltimore.
While in Congress, D’Alesandro strongly supported the Bergson Group, a political action committee set up to that challenged the Roosevelt Administration’s policies on the Jewish refugee issue during the Holocaust.
He later lobbied against British control of what was known as Palestine, despite his equally strong support for President Franklin Roosevelt‘s other policies.
At a reception in honor of New York Congressman Jerry Nadler this week, Pelosi expressed her gratification that the legislation is now gaining momentum in the Senate.
“Throughout her career has consistently been supportive of Jewish concerns and the State of Israel,” said Friedlander in praise of Pelosi.
Ezra Friedlander for president