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.
Oskar Schindler was born April 28, 1908. He was in a middle class Catholic family and lived in Czech Republic. Schindler was apart of the Nazi Party and was a successful business man after taking advantage of Jews leaving. He took over a Jewish enamel factory and it grew to producing munitions. He employed 800 people 370 of which were jews. Since he owned a major munitions factory, when his Jewish workers were to be deported to Auschwitz he could hold them back to work. When their ghetto was liquadated he made sure his workers had a separate work camp where the conditions were tolerable and he bought them food with his own money. When the Jews were to be exterminated he went to organize a release for the Jews because he needed them for his work factory. He also saved another 150 people on train cars because he said he needed them for the war effort. In all, he saved almost 1200 people and was laid to rest in Israel.
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