A short while earlier, they had fled from Hungary where Jews were These alleged atrocities figured prominently in the rhetoric at the time about Iraqi abuses in Kuwait. However, Lantos, then 17, returned home only to discover that his mother and other family members had all been murdered by the Germans, along with 440,000 other Hungarian Jews, during the preceding 10 months of their occupation. [39][40], The American Hungarian Federation recognized Congressman Lantos for his "Leadership in Support of Democracy, Human Rights and Minority Rights in Central and Eastern Europe", awarding him the organization's highest award, the "Col. Commandant Michael Kovats Medal of Freedom", at the October 19, 2005, Congressional Reception commemorating the 49th Anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He served 14 terms, from 1981-2008, in the United States House of Representatives as Congressman for the California district encompassing . As some Democrats de-emphasize traditional human rightsoften in favor of LGBT concernsand Republicans face pressure not to criticize a GOP White House, Swetts example of independence shows it is possible to put policy over politics. Recalling his early life, he announced his retirement by stating to Congress, "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country. ALL MATERIAL: COPYRIGHT CALIFORNIA EUROPEAN CULTURAL INITIATIVE/MEMORY PROJECT Her mothers Holocaust-era ID card sits on a shelf. Lantos, who served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his last term, announced in early January 2008 that he would not run for re-election because of cancer of the esophagus. He again escaped, this time making his way back to Budapest, 40 miles (64km) away. ADDRESS Previously city included Denver CO. Lantos earned a reputation as a champion for various human rights causes, such as having Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang testify at a congressional hearing, when the company turned over the email records of two Chinese dissidents to the Chinese government, allowing them to be traced and one sentenced to jail. You can look her up on theinterneteither by checking out some of her TED talks or just Google "Operasinger-lung transplants". Learn more about Annette Lantos - movies and shows, full bio, photos, videos, and more at TV Guide Lantos Swett earned a Political Science degree from Yale University at the age of 18, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a PhD in History from The University of Southern Denmark. Swett attributes her double education at home and school for rapidly preparing her for college. 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Why didnt his obituaries say so? In the final weeks of his life, Lantos asked that a non-profit be established to carry on the work he felt so passionately about. They included speaking for Christians in Saudi Arabia and Sudan to practice their faith, helping Tibetans to retain their culture and religion in Tibet, and advocating for other minorities worldwide. Annette Tillemann's childhood was joyous until March 19, 1944, when German SS Troops entered Hungary and began the immediate and mass deportation of Hungary's Jews. In January 2006, he traveled to Hungary and attended a ceremony commemorating the 61st anniversary of the liberation of the Budapest Ghetto. Did it affect his Judaism? guys who need constant female attention; 8th infantry division baumholder germany. Rep. Tom Lantos, who as a teenager twice escaped from a Nazi-run forced labor camp in Hungary and became the only Holocaust survivor to win a seat in Congress . why did bella poarch leave the navy; how to make spicy brown mustard with yellow mustard Our guest on this episode of The Keeper is . What Do I Believe? Police, security agencies advise Jews to be on alert ahead of planned National Day of Hate on Shabbat, American citizen killed in latest West Bank shooting amid escalating violence, This Orthodox Jewish model made history at New York Fashion Week. [10] In January 1945, less than a year later, Russian military forces fought door-to-door battles and liberated Hungary from German occupation. I truly appreciate your constancy andremember with gratitude your band's vital contribution to our production ofGOdspell so many years ago. On January 2, 2008, after having been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, Lantos announced he would not run for a 15th term in the House, but planned to complete his final term, and thanked Congress: It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress. If one hypothesizes that the woman's story is fictitious from A to Z, that in no way diminishes the avalanche of human rights violations. Annette Lantos, the wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, worked full-time in her husband's office throughout his nearly three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives. HARROWING FAMILY HISTORYcultivated Swetts passion for human rights. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom (2018-2021) & Coc-Chair of the IRF Summit, Lantos Foundation, 6 Dixon Ave, Suite 100, Concord, NH 03301. Why are we now repeating the short-sighted patterns of the past? Instead, the younger Annette suggested, he admired his wife's beliefs but did not embrace them: "He had faith in the sustaining power of her faith in spirituality," she said. Class of 1978 Denomination: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints To say I am chagrined that it has been so many.many years since I have communicated with the faithful class secretaries would be an understatement. Agnes Ethel Lantos became a naturalized United States citizen on May 17, 1954, under that name. Did the Administration learn nothing from our country's actions in Afghanistan two decades ago, when by supporting Islamist militants against the Soviet Union, we helped pave the way for the rise of the Taliban? Here is all you want to know, and more! The Tom Lantos papers document the career of a Hungarian-born American politician who was the only Holocaust survivor to have served in the United States Congress. [17], Lantos and his wife had two daughters, Annette Marie and Katrina, and 18 grandchildren, including Levi, an author and energy expert; Tomicah, a former Democratic political speechwriter; and Charity, an opera singer and activist. As a young adult, Swett also became a Mormon and went on to raise her seven children in both religious traditions. He never again faced such a close contest, and was re-elected 13 times. Read More. But the fact remains, gentlemen, that the Administration has sent you here today to convince the members of these two Committees and the Congress that victory is at hand. Tom Lantos was born on February 1, 1928 (age 80) in Hungary. But her father and numerous relatives were murdered in the Nazi death camps. He is a celebrity politician. After escaping a slave labor camp, her father hid in a safe house established by Raoul Wallenberg, the famed Swedish diplomat who saved as many as 100,000 Hungarian Jews. [15][16] Annette (formerly Agnes) Lantos is a niece of Jolie Gabor, whose brother Sebastian was Mrs. Lantos's father, making Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva Gabor, Jolie's daughters, first cousins to Annette Lantos. She said the Iraq War and the rise of LGBT activism have caused some to back away from global human rights issuesespecially religious freedom. And therefore I feel with great certainty that Tom is alive, and that hes here right now listening to our farewell before he will depart into the light for a joyous reunion with his friends and deceased family.. Latest news and commentary on Annette Lantos including photos, videos, quotations, and a biography. To say I am chagrined that it has been so many.many years since I havecommunicated with the faithful class secretaries would be an understatement. On a bitter cold Christmas eve in 1944, a little Jewish girl, 13 years old but with her diminutive size and Shirley Temple curls looked closer to 8, kissed her mother goodbye and alone began to make h. - Listen to Episode 4 : Annette Lantos by The Keeper instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. J.C.D. In a 2007 letter he asked Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia to distance themselves from the Bene decrees, a reasonable process in the Hedvig Malina case, and to treat members of the Hungarian minority as equal. More information on Tom Lantos can be found here. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. [50], Lantos received the Grand Cross, Hungary's highest civilian honor. White, who once wrote to a friend, "I've written you a long letterbecause I did not have time to write a short one." She also spoke directly with President Jimmy Carter about Wallenberg's case. We'll be rid of the bastard soon enough. - Bethesda, 2008. februr 11.) He drove over a young boy's foot and then failed to stop his vehicle and was later fined over the incident for inattentive driving. account of the 36 years that have elapsed since graduation39since our production of Godspell. Lantos was born in Budapest, Hungary. He used his powerful voice to stir the consciousness of world leaders and the public alike. Posted in Hungarian politics, Hungary and tagged Annette Lantos, anti-Semitism in Hungary, Fidesz, House of Fates, Hungarian constitution, Hungarian Guard, Imre Kertsz, Istvn Csurka, Mria Vsrhelyi, Mikls Vsrhelyi, Tom Lantos, Tom Lantos Institute, Viktor Orbn on February 2, 2014 by Eva S. Balogh. Former U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, who served for 27 years with Lantos, wrote the 1998 legislation that created USCIRF and called Swett one of the best commissioners the body has ever had: Shes a tribute to her dad. The familys political connections have aided the foundations growth, but Swetts persistent work has swiftly turned the organization into a respected human rights institution. [citation needed]. Those experiences permeated the memorial, which began and ended with blessings from Schneier, Lantos longtime friend and fellow survivor, who founded the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, which promotes religious freedoms. Showing Editorial results for annette lantos. Meanwhile, Tom Lantos joined an underground movement when the Nazis took Hungary. Schneier said that in Lantos final days, he and his wife joined Annette and Lantos in their Washington apartment, reciting the psalms together, and singing the Shma Israel, the Jewish invocation of Gods oneness that gains special meaning when it is said close to death. Mother Annette Lantos eventually joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those same skies that did not hear the roar of the fighters planes in time were hearing them now, she said. Although the Swedish humanitarian was never found, Annette and Congressman Lantos have been instrumental in honoring his legacy through numerous legislative initiatives. She served as the unpaid Executive Director of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which Congressman Lantos co-founded. One day, young Katrina sent chills up her mothers spine when she wished the family happy new yearin the fall. John BroderickFormer Chief Justice, NH Supreme Court, Dr. Kay Atkinson KingFormer Director, Office of Inter Parliamentary AffairsUS House of Representatives, Ambassador Nancy G. BrinkerFormer U.S. A short while earlier, they had fled from Hungary where Jews were facing deportation and death at the hands of the Nazi occupiers. We examine and express the rich spiritual, intellectual, social, and artistic qualities of Mormon history and contemporary life. The resolution later passed the House and the Senate with a total of 373 members of Congress supporting it. The tide turned after 9/11, when wars in Iraq and Afghanistan created a fear of over-engagement, especially among Democrats. "[45], A memorial service was held for Lantos on February 14, 2008, at Statuary Hall in the Capitol. During his childhood, he met his future wife, Annette Tillemann (or Tilleman; born June 27, 1931), then using the name Agnes Ethel Seymour. [9] Wallenberg, for his part, was later credited with saving the lives of thousands of other Hungarian Jews. of 2 NEXT [30], "Nurse Nayirah" later turned out to be the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States. 343 North Third West BOARD OF TRUSTEESJohn Paul Schnapper-CasterasChairmanAnnette LantosChair Emeritus, Evelyn SzelenyiSecretaryTomicah Tillemann, Dr. Katrina Lantos SwettPresident, Ex-officio Non-voting Member, Ambassador John ShattuckPresident Emeritus of Central European University, BonoMusician/Activist, Co-founder of ONE and (RED), Richard GereFounder and President, The Gere Foundation, Hon. [49], Budapest named a promenade in the city in honor of Lantos in 2016. His daughter Annette was married to Timber . Through its more than 20 years of work, the Congressional Human Rights Caucusof which Lantos was co-chair with Representative Frank Wolfcovered a wide range of human rights issues. Four years later, Tom Lantos became the first and only Holocaust survivor to win a seat in Congress. "U.S. Policy Challenges in North Africa", "Lantos endorses Speier as 'our best candidate', "Rep. Tom Lantos of California dies at 80", "New Peninsula Humane Society Opens in Burlingame", "Budapest names promenade for late Jewish congressman Tom Lantos", "Controversial writer Zsolt Bayer was given one of Hungary's highest national honors, and past recipients are rejecting theirs in protest Quartz", "Scorecard for the 109th Congress U.S. House of Representatives", In trouble with the law: run-ins with police are fact of Capitol life, "US Lawmaker's "Prostitute" Remarks Provokes Germany", "Dutch lawmakers offended by Rep. Lantos", "Sibel Edmonds Launches 'State Secrets Privilege Gallery', "FBI Whistleblower: Hastert, Burton, Blunt, Other Members of Congress 'Bribed, Blackmailed', Congressman Tom Lantos' Remarks on the 25th Anniversary of the Tragedy at Jonestown and the Death of Congressman Leo Ryan, "Lantos' D.C. office is a living tribute to Wallenberg", Lantos set to retire after 27 years in public office, Finding Aid to the Tom Lantos Papers, 1944-2008, Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Lantos&oldid=1137386780, American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Jewish American people in California politics, Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives, Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California, People with acquired American citizenship, University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni, University of California, Berkeley alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 10:21. Lantos was against U.S. military aid to Egypt as the Egyptian military had failed to stop the flow of money and weapons across the Egyptian border to Hamas in Gaza, and Egypt had not contributed troops to the peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Timeline 1981 Democrat member of the US House of Representatives from California; term of service: 3 January 1981 - 11 February 2008 (died in office). That just leaves our third son, Corban, who hasadded to our United Nations kind of family with a brilliant, beautiful wifeborn and raised in South Korea. Swett was at times the lone Democrat voting with four Republicans on the nine-member commission. CONCORD, N.H., and WASHINGTON, D.C.On a February morning at the U.S. Capitol, lawmakers, ambassadors, and advocates gathered to award the Lantos Human Rights Prize to Vian Dakhil, a young, articulate member of Iraqs parliament whose 2014 cries for help drew the worlds attention to ISIS atrocities. Lantos, first elected to Congress in 1980 as a Democratic lawmaker from California, was remembered as a champion of human rights, from his work on the 1980s on behalf of Soviet Jewry, to recent times, defending the rights of civilians in Darfur and free speech advocates in China and promoting access to HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa. He was 80. Thomas was born on February 1 1928, in Budapest, Magyarorszg - Hungary. He was 80. Is it any wonder that on the subject of Iraq, more and more Americans have little confidence in this Administration? We can not take ANY of this Administration's assertions on Iraq at face value anymore, and no amount of charts or statistics will improve its credibility. Annette Lantos, who was rescued by Wallenberg, started campaigning in USA to urge Soviet Union to justify the latter's disappearance. And the doctor who provided Amnesty International with the number of babies killed dropped from 312 to 72 and then 30, 19 of which died before the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. At the same hearing, Lantos drew comparisons between some of the current U.S. activities in Iraq to U.S. support two decades earlier of Islamic militants in Afghanistan: America should not be in the business of arming, training and funding both sides of a religious civil war in Iraq. Dick is alive, she says, because Andrew Rosenberg had a fire extinguisher in his vehicle when he and Scott Boylan stopped to help Dick. FOR MANY YEARSDemocrats took a strong role in advocating for human rightsboth at home and abroad. A special election was held to fill his seat on April 8, 2008, and was won by former State Senator Jackie Speier, whom Lantos had endorsed. Intellectual, social, and more division baumholder germany all MATERIAL: COPYRIGHT California EUROPEAN CULTURAL PROJECT. 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