Lithuanian president honors saviors of Jews in World War II

President Valdas Adamkus has honored 55 Lithuanians for their help in protecting Jews during World War II, awarding them "Life Saving Crosses". The awards coincided with Lithuanian Jewish Genocide Day and were given to those who risked their lives in protecting Jews during the years of Nazi occupation. By saving Jews, the 55 men and women had saved Lithuania's honor and defended humanity in the most adverse conditions when facing death for hiding Jews, the president said. Simonas Alperavicius, head of the Lithuanian Jewish community, pointed out that anti-Semitism was still a problem world-wide. Jewish-Lithuanian relations have been strained for years over the role some Lithuanians played in killing Jews during the Nazi occupation from 1941 to 1944. The Shoah claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Lithuanian Jews, 90 per cent of the pre-war Jewish population in this Baltic state.