heroes of the holocaust

Heroes of the Holocaust(Righteous Among the Nations)

Righteous Among the Nations

Honorary title given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the HolocaustAs of January 1, 2012, 24 356 people have been awarded the title

IntegrityIntegrityFirm adherence to a moral code, especially in the face of adversity.

Chiune SugiharaIssued visas to help Jews escape Lithuania

What did Chiune do?Asked permission to issue visas but was deniedBegan issuing visas anywaysWrote about 300 visas a day for 29 daysWas forced to leave LithuaniaContinued to write visas on the trainAs the train pulled out he threw his visa stamp into the crowd

After the WarSoviets imprisoned Chiune and his family in an internment camp in Romania for 18 monthsReturned to Japan in 1947Japanese Foreign Ministry dismissed him from diplomatic serviceMet Joshua Nishri, one of his survivors in 1968Died July 31 1986

Chiune issued visas to over 6000 people

CourageCourageThe state of mind that enables one to face danger, hardship, or uncertainty with composure and resolve.

Irena SendlerSmuggled around 2500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto

“Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.” –Irena Sendler

What did Irena do?Joined Zegota, a Polish council formed to aid JewsVisited the Warsaw Ghetto dailySpoke with parents and offered to smuggle their children outMade false documents for children and placed them with families or conventsRecorded the new and old identities and location of the every child

Irena’s ArrestOctober 20 1943, Irena was arrestedShe was tortured by Gestapo for the names and addresses of families hiding JewsThey broke her legs and feet but she never gave anything upWas sentenced to death but Zegota helped her escapeChanged her identity and continued her rescues

After the WarDug up her jars containing the names of the childrenTracked down the children and tried to reunite them with relativesUnfortunately most of their parents died in TreblinkaDied May 12, 2008

Irena saved around 2500 children

Moral Leadership

Moral LeadershipThe ability to influence others to accomplish a goal arising from a sense of right and wrong.

Raoul WallenbergSaved over 100 000 people

What did Raoul do?Was given a task to do what he could to assist Hungarian JewsWorked with Swedish government and resistance groupsIssued certificates of protection to Jews (protective passports)Established hospitals, nurseries, a soup kitchen and safe housesStopped many deportations of Jews and secured the release of those with protective passportsGave passports to Jews as he stopped the deportations

Raoul helped save over 100 000 people

Social Responsibility

Social ResponsibilityA sense of obligation to ensure the welfare of others.

Varian FryHelped Anti-Nazi refugees escape from France

I could not just sit and look on without doing anything. –Varian Fry

What did Varian do?Visited Berlin in 1935, seeing the Nazi abuse made him want to helpEmergency Rescue Committee (American Organization) sent him to France with a list of who to saveSaved everyone on his list and moreProvided forged documents and escape routes for anti-Nazi refugeesHid Jews and non-Jews until they could be smuggled out

Varian saved over 2200 people

IngenuityIngenuityInventive skill or cleverness in confronting a challenge.

Oskar SchindlerSaved over 1200 Jews by hiring them to work

What did Oskar do?Took over two Jewish owned factoriesEmployed Jews for cheap laborAppalled by brutality, started to protect workers without worry of costPersuaded SS to convert Emalia (his factory) into a subcamp of PlaszowAllowed Jews to spend the night in the factoriesBribed police and soldiers

Discovered that any factories that didn’t help with the war efforts would be closedMoved to a factory in Brünnlitz to make anti-tank grenadesMade a list of people to be sent to the new factory

1000 were his workers200 were other prisoners

After the WarVery poor because he spent all his money on bribes and supplies for the JewsWent bankruptLeft his wifeTried to open numerous factories but they all failedDied October 9, 1974 and was later buried in Jerusalem

Oskar saved over 1200 Jews

CooperationCooperation

Working together toward a common goal or purpose.

Dimitar PeshevSaved 48 000 Jews from deportation

"My human conscience and my understanding of the fateful consequences both for the people involved and the policy of our country now and in the future did not allow me to remain idle. And I decided to do all in my power to prevent what was being planned from happening; I knew that this action was going to shame Bulgaria in the eyes of the world and brand her with a stain she didn't deserve.” –Dimitar Peshev

Self-SacrificeSelf-Sacrifice

Giving up personal wants and needs for the sake of others or for a cause.

Aristides De Sousa MendesIssued Visas for 30 000 people

“If thousands of Jews are suffering because of one Christian [Hitler], surely one Christian may suffer for so many Jews”. -Aristides De Sousa Mendes

What did Aristides do?Under strict orders to not issue Portuguese VisasDespite that, issued visas to:

JewsPolitical DissidentsArmy Officers from occupied countriesPriests and Nuns

Was ordered to return to PortugalBefore he left France, he issued visas to everyone outside the Portuguese consulate

After the WarDismissed from his position in the Foreign MinistryUnable to support his family of 13Died poor in 1954

Aristides issued visas for 30 000 people

CompassionCompassion

A feeling of sympathy for the suffering of another and the desire to alleviate it

Olga RajsekHid and took care of a Jewish boy

What did Olga do?Took in a Jewish boy whose parents were imprisonedPassed him off as her cousinHe was discovered and arrestedWorked to release himPlaced him in an orphanageBrought food to him everydayAfter the war, took him back to her house to be reunited with his father

Sir Nicholas WintonRescued 669 children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia

"Save one life, save the world.” –Nicholas Winton

What did Nicholas do?Formed an organization to help children from Jewish families CzechoslovakiaRaised money to help bring children to BritainFound families to house the childrenOrganized eight transports from Prague to LondonStopped when Britain declared war on GermanyDidn’t tell many people about what he didWife found his scrapbook of all the children in 1988

Nicholas saved 669 children

Giovanni PalatucciFalsified travel documents

“They want to make us believe that the heart is just a muscle, to prevent us from doing what our hearts and religion tell us to do” -Giovanni Palatucci

What did Giovanni do?Was in charge of the department of foreigners in Fiume, Italy Edited necessary residence papers for Jewish refugeesFalsified documents and visasInstead of deporting Jews he secretly made plans to send them to CampaniaDestroyed records of around 10,000 Jewish refugees

Giovanni’s ArrestGestapo found out what Giovanni was doingWas given a safe pass to SwitzerlandHe gave the pass to his Jewish FiancéeArrested September 13 1944Deported to Dachau where he died February 10 1945

Giovanni saved thousands of Jews

DenmarkOnly occupied country that actively resisted Nazi Regime

What did Denmark do?Welcomed around 4500 Jewish refugeesDid not make Jews wear a yellow star Allowed Jews to keep their property and businessesStopped violence against JewsHid Jews once searches beganHelped over 7200 Jews and 700 non-Jewish relatives escape

Around 470 Jews were seized by German soldiersCitizens and leaders actively demanded to know where the Jews were being kept Kept their homes and businesses away from the Germans

Around 120 Danish Jews died during the Holocaust

Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon Provided refuge for around 5000 people

What did Le Chambon-sur-Lignon do?

Pastor Trocmé started by providing relief supplies to 30,000 Jews in internment campsWorked with Burns ChalmersBurns negotiated the release of many Jews from Southern CampsA French-Jewish child care agency helped transport the JewsChildren were placed into private homes, boarding houses and houses made for sheltering

Didn’t just house Jewish Refugees, also housed:Anti-Nazi GermansSpanish RepublicansMembers of the French ResistanceFrenchmen who wanted to avoid forced labor

During raids by Vichy Police or German Security villagers helped bring the refugees further into the countrysideHelped provide false travel documents and ration cards

Under German Occupation

Germans occupied Southern France November 1942French police arrested Pastor Trocmé and two other men February 13, 1943They were released after 28 daysContinued to rescue until late 1943 when they had to go into hidingJune 29, 1943 German police raided a school and arrested 18 Jewish students as well as others involved in rescue efforts

Saved 3,000-5,000 Jews