US Holocaust Memorial Museum Honors Unitarians

Artemis Joukowsky III

Artemis Joukowsky III lights a memorial candle during the ceremony honoring his grandparents.

Rev. William G. Sinkford greets Rev. Ellen Johnson-Fay following the conclusion of the ceremony.

(Washington, DC - September 14, 2006) A somber, rainy morning provided a fitting backdrop for a ceremony held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum  to honor the late Martha and the Rev. Waitstill Sharp. The Museum dedicated a plaque recognizing the Sharps on its "Rescuers Wall" in the black granite room where an eternal flame burns. Others who were named Righteous Among the Nations by Israel's Yad Vashem memorial are similarly memorialized in the room.

In June of 2006, Yad Vashem recognized the Sharps—only the second and third Americans to be honored at Yad Vashem—as "Righteous Among Nations." This honor, recognizing the few individuals who courageously acted to save lives in the face of genocide, is the highest honor that the nation of Israel can bestow on non-Jews on behalf of the Jewish people.

Among those in attendance for the Washington ceremony were the Sharps' daughter, Martha Sharp Joukowsky and other family members; their grandson, Artemis Joukowsky III, who is principally responsible for the recognition of the Sharps as Righteous Among the Nations; several survivors of the Holocaust; Sara Bloomfield, Director of the U.S. Holocaust Museum; John Heffernan, Director of the Museum's Committee on Conscience (COC); US Senator Jack Reed (D-RI); Dr. Charlie Clements, president of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC); the Reverend Dr. William F. Schulz, chair of the Board of Trustees for the UUSC; and the Reverend William G. Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Sinkford delivered the invocation at the ceremony. Sinkford spoke of the Sharps'  spirit, recognizing that they saw beyond the boundaries of religious identity, and, referring to the religious divisions that are present in our world said, "we are called in the same way to find a means to make real the promise of one human family and to fight, day by day, the energy that would work against and kill members of that family."

Senator Reed, in recounting the Sharps' accomplishments, announced that the US Senate had chosen, on September 8, 2006, to "honor the heroic efforts of the Rev. Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp with a resolution recognizing them as genuine American heroes ."

Dr. Schulz introduced a documentary film on the Sharps, "Heroes of the Spirit," noting that the US Holocaust Memorial Museum had received thousands of papers, letters, and reports documenting the heroic work of the Sharps. Schulz spoke of the greatness of the Sharps as reflected by their moral choices.

The twenty-minute film was produced by the UUSC and Artemis Joukowsky III. Joukowsky noted that his grandparents were modest people who "did not see themselves as heroes. They did what the circumstances called them to do, and would have expected that anyone else would have done the same." Other speakers pointed out that, heroic as the Sharps were, they did not and could not have acted alone. Support came from their church—members of whom looked after their two small children while they were away—and from Unitarians across the country who made contributions to aid the Sharps' rescue work as they could.

The event ended with a "call from memory to action" that highlighted the current genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Senator Reed reminded the audience that September 9, 2006, marked the second anniversary of the US recognition of genocide in Darfur. Since that official recognition another 400,000 people have died. Dr. Atema Eclai, director of programs for the UUSC, said that four million people are currently displaced and that "a few short years from now people will be asking why we let this happen. As we remember the heroism of Martha and Waitstill Sharp, the question [is], 'who will be today's heroes and when will the day come when such heroes are no longer needed?'"

For further information on how you can fight the genocide in Darfur and join the Save Darfur rally  on Sept. 17: www.uusc.org/darfur/sept_rally.html 

Media Coverage :

• 1/25/07: To Remember the Holocaust, We Must Fight to Stamp Out Evil by Tom Lantos, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (Op-ed)
• 1/23/07: "Americans Honored for Holocaust Role," Jewish Telegraphic Agency
• 9/15/06: "Honoring a 'Righteous' Pair" by John E. Mulligan, Providence Journal
• 9/14/06: "The Couple Who Fought Genocide" by Alan Cooperman, Washington Post
• 9/14/06: "Holocaust Museum Honors Waitstill and Martha Sharp" by Michael Jay Friedman, usinfo.state.gov
• 9/14/06: "Holocaust Museum Honors Rescuers," Jewish Telegraphic Agency
• 9/11/06: "Two Americans Honored Posthumously by Holocaust Museum for World War II Heroism," Religion News Service

Other U.S. Honors :
On January 22, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.Res. 52, honoring Martha and Waitstill Sharp for their actions and recognizing them as "genuine American heroes."

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