Bulgaria’s consul general in Chicago Svetoslav Stankov and Prof. Samuel Refetoff were guest lecturers at a discussion called Light among Darkness marking the 80^th anniversary since the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during World War II. The meeting was organized by the American Jewish Committee.

“The Consulate General in Chicago has planned a rich programme, including exhibitions, lectures and discussion with the main purpose to introduce to the American public the little-known fact that Bulgaria is the only country in Europe in which all the citizens of Jewish origin were saved,” Svetoslav Stankov said for the Bulgarian news agency BTA, adding that they were also deeply appreciative of the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions that issued more than 15,000 transit visas with which Jews from Central and Eastern Europe escaped to free lands.