Examples of Courage from the Holocaust
What do you remember about your Holocaust Unit in 7th grade? What were some of the atrocities and who were the victims?
From Yad Vashem website:
"In a Europe where Jews were ostracized and targeted for murder, most people abandoned their former neighbors, and only a few stood by their side. The price that rescuers had to pay for their actions differed from one country to another. In Eastern Europe, notices were put up threatening those who helped Jews and their families with death. In Germany and Western Europe punishment was generally less severe. However, witnessing the brutal treatment of the population and the perpetrators’ determination to hunt down every single Jew, people must have feared that they would suffer greatly if they attempted to help the persecuted. Moreover, in many places rescuers had to beware not only of the authorities, but there was a great risk of denunciation on the part of their neighbors.
And yet, even within the horror that was Auschwitz, there were flickers of light. Despite the total dehumanization that was part of the camp system, there were remarkable acts of solidarity and humanity by camp inmates. Among them were non-Jews, who at risk to their own lives, sought to ease the pain, to give aid and to rescue Jews. They proved that even within the brutality and the murder, people could choose not to remain indifferent. These non-Jews are among the more than 21,000 who by 2006 have been recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Since 1963, as mandated by the Israeli Parliament, Yad Vashem has honored those non-Jews who, during the Holocaust, saved Jewish lives in circumstances that posed a risk to his or her life, without intending to receive a reward, monetary or otherwise."
From Yad Vashem website:
"In a Europe where Jews were ostracized and targeted for murder, most people abandoned their former neighbors, and only a few stood by their side. The price that rescuers had to pay for their actions differed from one country to another. In Eastern Europe, notices were put up threatening those who helped Jews and their families with death. In Germany and Western Europe punishment was generally less severe. However, witnessing the brutal treatment of the population and the perpetrators’ determination to hunt down every single Jew, people must have feared that they would suffer greatly if they attempted to help the persecuted. Moreover, in many places rescuers had to beware not only of the authorities, but there was a great risk of denunciation on the part of their neighbors.
And yet, even within the horror that was Auschwitz, there were flickers of light. Despite the total dehumanization that was part of the camp system, there were remarkable acts of solidarity and humanity by camp inmates. Among them were non-Jews, who at risk to their own lives, sought to ease the pain, to give aid and to rescue Jews. They proved that even within the brutality and the murder, people could choose not to remain indifferent. These non-Jews are among the more than 21,000 who by 2006 have been recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Since 1963, as mandated by the Israeli Parliament, Yad Vashem has honored those non-Jews who, during the Holocaust, saved Jewish lives in circumstances that posed a risk to his or her life, without intending to receive a reward, monetary or otherwise."
Most rescuers started off as bystanders...
Are you a bystander? What do you do when someone is being picked on or gossiped about?
Are you a bystander? What do you do when someone is being picked on or gossiped about?
Look at the person sitting next to you. If you found out there name was on a list of people to be taken unjustly and put in a concentration camp, what would you do for them?
If you were a Jew living during WW2 and you found out your family was at risk of being taken from your home, confined to a ghetto, stripped of all your wealth and possessions, etc...what would you hope the person sitting next to you would do for you?
If you were a Jew living during WW2 and you found out your family was at risk of being taken from your home, confined to a ghetto, stripped of all your wealth and possessions, etc...what would you hope the person sitting next to you would do for you?
In Israel, there is a place called "Yad Vashem"--a museum which honors the memory of the millions of deceased Jews killed by the Nazis. The remnants of those exterminated include mountains of personal items left behind, including shoes, even those from little toddlers....it is hard to comprehend this atrocity in our world's history.
But, the museum also honors the people who risked their lives to help save Jews in their darkest hour. Trees are planted in their honor, with their names engraved on plaques. From hiding forged documents in bicycle handlebars, to a 15 year old boy who smuggled food INTO the Warsaw ghetto...find out the stories of those who chose NOT to just stand by and watch injustice and evil reign...
But, the museum also honors the people who risked their lives to help save Jews in their darkest hour. Trees are planted in their honor, with their names engraved on plaques. From hiding forged documents in bicycle handlebars, to a 15 year old boy who smuggled food INTO the Warsaw ghetto...find out the stories of those who chose NOT to just stand by and watch injustice and evil reign...
IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW, TELL US ABOUT ONE STORY FROM THE "RIGHTEOUS" DATABASE. TELL US THEIR NAME, WHERE THEY WERE FROM, AND HOW THEY HELPED SAVE THEIR FELLOW MAN.
There was a widow named Vasiuta Wegrzynowska who lived in Zahajpo Kołomyja in the district of Stanisławów. She had hired this Jewish helping family in the 1930's. Then when the Germans took over in 1943 the family was desperate so she hid them in a camouflaged bunker. Her neighbors tried to rat her out on many occasions but when the police arrived they found nothing. She hid the family until 1944 when they were liberated.
ReplyDeleteDerek:
ReplyDeleteI picked Paul Grueninger and his story of helping 3,600 jews into the country of Switzerland. He allowed them to pass through into Switzerland, by falsifying their identification by putting on their stamp that they entered in 1938- when it was llegal. I beilieve that he did a great service knowing the risk. He died with convictions from the swiss government. They were released after his death.
Leopold and Magdalena Socha Sacrificed everything they needed to help save the Jews. They decided to go in the sewers and sneak the Jews in, but sometimes get sick and not make it.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Gerasimchik family. They were from the village Szubkow a small town in Ukraine. They took in one of their neighbors and hid them for 2 years. At one point German soliders stayed in the Gerasimchik home for 2 weeks just over the heads of the Jewish family. They had no food for 2 weeks. At the end of their occupation they conspirators gave the Jewish family back the gold watch they gave the hiders at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThe article I read was about a woman named Gertruda Babilinska that helped a small Jewish family as a little boy, Michael, lost his Mom to a stroke when he was just a few years old. Gertruda helped Michael by taking him under her wing as the war started and all the Jews were being sent to ghettos.
ReplyDelete