Today we observed a solemn anniversary.
It’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
We’re often taught about the horrors — but not the ordinary heroes who tried to help. Even in the darkest moments, the best of humanity found a way to shine through.
A thread about humanity and hope.
In 1938, Sir Nicholas Winton saved almost 700 Jewish children from German occupation, by evacuating them to the UK.
Decades later, those children would gather to surprise him — live on TV.
This is how he found out.
What’s even more incredible?
One of the children Nicolas saved was Leslie Brent, who went on to become one of the world's top immunologists who pioneered organ transplants.
Millions of people are alive today because of him.
Angel Sanz Briz was a Spanish diplomat in Hungary when the Nazis invaded.
When Jews were being rounded up, he falsified documents to grant Spanish nationality to Jewish refugees. He even hid them in the Spanish embassy.
He saved over 5000 Jews.
(📸: Centero Sefarad)
This is Carl Lutz.
He literally saved half of Budapest’s Jewish population from concentration camps.
He and his wife issued as many diplomatic documents to Jewish refugees as they could, including setting up safe houses throughout Budapest.
During WW2, Johan van Hulst was a teacher in the Netherlands.
When Germany occupied the country, he helped Jewish children escape by hiding them in baskets and delivering those baskets out of the country.
He helped nearly 600 children escape to safety.
When Germany invaded the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom and her family built a secret hiding place in their house for any Jews that needed a safe place to go.
They sheltered nearly 800 Jewish refugees, until they could get to safety.
(📸: World Holocaust Remembrance Center)
This is Eugene Lazowski.
During the Holocaust, he saved 8,000 Jews. How?
By injecting inactive typhus cells into them, allowing them to test positive even though they were healthy.
Because they tested positive, the Germans refused to deport them to concentration camps.
These are just SOME of the heroes. There were many more who will never be known.
All of them shared something in common: They had a choice, and they chose to help.
The world needs more stories like this.
And we can each write our own.
#NeverAgain
While you’re here, make sure to follow @AuschwitzMuseum and @HolocaustMuseum.
They’re doing important work that the world needs now more than ever.
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