LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Albanian people for protecting and
saving the lives of all Jews, both native and refugee, living in or
traveling through Albania during the Holocaust

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to commemorate and
extol the brave actions and efforts of groups and individuals who put
human decency above their own safety and well-being; and
WHEREAS, The State of New York celebrates and applauds the people of
Albania, who have fostered a historic relationship with the Jewish
community and exemplified how tolerance and acceptance of others both
represents and strengthens the fabric of the communities in the State of
New York and across our nation; and
WHEREAS, New York State is home to a large population of Albanian-Am-
ericans, many of whom have made signficiant contributions to both our
State and Nation; and
WHEREAS, Based on their unique history of religious tolerance, Albani-
ans of all social classes and religious beliefs sheltered and protected
Jews, even at the risk of their own lives, beginning even before
Mussolini's Fascists invaded in 1939; and
WHEREAS, At the start of World War II, approximately 200 Jews lived in
the Republic of Albania, and approximately 2,000 Jews escaped to Albania
from Western Europe and the Balkans region; and
WHEREAS, After Germany occupied Albania in 1943, Albanian leaders, in
an extraordinary act of courage, not only refused to provide a list of
Jews living in Albania, but instructed Albanian clerks to issue false
identity papers to protect all Jews who traveled to and hid throughout
the country; and
WHEREAS, BESA, a code of honor deeply rooted in the Albanian society
and observed even nowadays, dictates a moral behavior that one take
responsibility for the lives of others, without exception, in case of
need; and
WHEREAS, Due to the exceptional Albanian code of honor, no Jewish
family in Albania was surrendered to the Fascists or the Nazis, and the
entire native and refugee Jewish community in Albania during World War
II survived the Holocaust; and
WHEREAS, Due to the exceptional behavior of the Albanian Nation as a
whole, Albania had more Jewish residents after World War II than before
World War II; and
WHEREAS, In the course of the last few decades, various authenticated
publications have further helped uncover the Albanian story of rescuing
Jews, such as Jewish-American author and philanthropist Harvey Sarner's
original published work THE JEWS OF ALBANIA in 1992, and the Autobiogra-
phy of Irene Grunbaum titled ESCAPE THROUGH THE BALKANS; and
WHEREAS, World-renowned photographer Norman Gershman through his
extensive interviewing and photographing of rescuers and survivors, had
his work published by the prestigious SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PRESS; this
inspired the movie BESA THE PROMISE, which has further shed light on the
extraordinary story of Albanians saving the Jews and the humanity of the
Albanian people; and
WHEREAS, The heroic deeds of hundreds of Albanians who rescued Jews
during World War II are now recognized by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, and the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC; and
WHEREAS, Yad Vashem has thus far designated 73 Albanians as 'Righteous
Persons' and Albania as one of the 'Righteous Among the Nations'; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Albanian people for protecting and saving the lives of all
Jews, both native and refugee, living in or traveling through Albania
during the Holocaust, in conjunction with the visit of the esteemed
President of Albania, His Excellency Bujar Nishani, to the New York
State Legislature on Tuesday, May 5, 2015; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause further to commend Yad
Vashem in Israel and to encourage others to recognize Albanians who took
action to protect Jews during the Holocaust for their great courage and
heroism; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York; and His Excellency Bujar Nishani, President of Albania.