Charles Aznavour received the award for saving Jews
TEL AVIV, Oct 27 — RIA Novosti. French singer Charles Aznavour received the award in Israel for participating in the rescue of Jews during the Second world war, reported the press service of the head of the Jewish state, Reuven Rivlin.
At the presidential residence in Jerusalem, a 93-year-old actor presented the medal to Raoul Wallenberg.
“The award was given Aznavour for humanitarian activities during the Holocaust of his family that covered a few people who were persecuted by the Nazis. Active participation in the rescue operations took Charles and his sister Aida”, — stated in the message.
The medal bears the name of the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Nazi-controlled Hungary, and presumably died after the war in a Soviet prison. The award to Aznavour was awarded based in new York, the international Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, but to obtain her preferred singer in Jerusalem, reported the press service of the Israeli President.
“Your family is a wonderful example of courage, my dear friend. The Jewish people will never forget and will forever remain grateful to you and your family,” said Rivlin, who participated in the ceremony.
Aznavour in reply, confessed his love to Jerusalem and spoke about their Armenian roots. “We have so much in common, Jews and Armenians, in trouble and joy, in work, music, art, language skills, to become important people in the countries that we took,” he was quoted by the presidential press service.
Despite his age, the singer on Saturday will give a concert in tel Aviv.