Many of you remember that Jan Karski was a member of the Kosciuszko Foundation for decades. The photo above shows Karski during one of his many talks at the Kosciuszko Foundation. While Karski is known as the man who tried to stop the Holocaust by urging Roosevelt and Churchill to take action, he was also a diplomat, resistance fighter against the murderous regimes of Hitler and Stalin, and a Professor at Georgetown University. Ever vigilant as a champion of justice, he was a true Polish hero.
On April 7, 2011, the executrix of Jan Karski's estate, Kaya Mirecka-Ploss and I wrote to President Obama asking him to award Karski with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We are pleased to announce that the campaign is gaining momentum, and so far, 11 United States Senators and 66 Members of the House of Representatives have signed on to a letter in support of President Obama awarding this posthumous honor to Professor Karski.
Members of the steering committee that have been pushing the campaign include : Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter; Robert L. Billingsley, Co-Chair, Georgetown University Jan Karski Centennial Campaign; David Harris, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee; Andrzej Rojek, Kosciuszko Foundation Trustee; and Wanda Urbanska, Director of the Jan Karski U.S. Centennial Campaign.
As a beneficiary of Karski's estate, the Kosciuszko Foundation believes it is important to keep Karski's legacy alive. If you have time, please take a moment and call the White House comment line at (202) 456-1111 and ask the President to confer this long-overdue honor on Dr. Karski. If the line is busy, please keep trying.
To learn more about the campaign to honor Jan Karski visit: http://www.jankarski.net/
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas,
Happy Chanukah,
and a fantastic New Year!
Alex Storozynski
President & Executive Director
