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The U.S. diplomat seeking justice for Holocaust survivors

JL;DR SUMMARY Ellen Germain serves as the U.S. special envoy for Holocaust issues, a role deeply personal to her due to her family's history; her great-grandfather emigrated from Poland, leaving behind family murdered by the Nazis. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryHolocaust SurvivorsEuropeHolocaust EducationDiplomacyRestitutionInternational RelationsU.S. State DepartmentCompensationEllen Germain

Places mentioned

United States
"Like many American Jews, Ellen Germain grew up hearing about family members who perished in the Holocaust."
Krakow, Lesser Poland, Poland
"Later, as a U.S. diplomat, Germain would spend three years in Krakow, Poland, where she learned the language of her uncles and cousins and some of their killers."
Radzilow, Podlachia, Poland
"Those brothers, Shlomke and Joske Gutferd, lived in Radzilow and Szczuczyn, in northeast Poland, and I want to say their names because I feel like no one else remembers them anymore, said Germain."
Israel
"Ellen Germain visiting the Massuah Institute for the Study of the Holocaust at Kibbutz Tel Yitzhak, Israel, in Febuary 2022 (Courtesy)."
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
"Germains first posting was in Tel Aviv, and over the years she spent a significant portion of her time on Middle East issues, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio."
Moscow, Russian Federation
"Her favorite posting was in Moscow, where she focused on science and technology, including space; a perk was attending rocket launches."
Czechia
"In November, Germain and diplomats from 46 other nations gathered in the Czech Republic to take stock of the state of restitution."
Lithuania
"Ellen Germain speaks alongside U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Robert Gilchrist on Dec. 5, 2022. (Credit: Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)."

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Cairo Item ID 81256
Cairo Source ID 43
Retrieved 2026-05-01 05:33:46 UTC
Curated 2026-05-01 08:31:47 UTC