Parsippany Honors Raoul Wallenberg on 80th Anniversary of His Disappearance

Mayor James Barberio led a solemn ceremony in Parsippany to honor Raoul Wallenberg, marking the 80th anniversary of his disappearance in 1945. The event, held at Smith Field Park, featured the “Courage and Compassion” sculpture, one of only thirty-one memorials worldwide dedicated to Wallenberg. Attendees included Aviva Neumann from the Swedish Consulate and local officials who recognized Wallenberg’s contributions to saving Jews during the Holocaust. Scholarships were awarded to Gabriella Albano and Emma Gonzalez, highlighting the event's educational focus. Mayor Barberio emphasized Wallenberg’s enduring legacy, urging attendees to confront injustice with compassion and integrity.

The ceremony concluded with the symbolic placement of eleven white roses at the sculpture's base, each representing one million lives lost during the Holocaust. Wallenberg, recruited by the U. S. War Refugee Board, is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. His fate remains unknown after being detained by Soviet forces in 1945.