In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust [9780063037243]

Overview

"In the Garden of the Righteous brilliantly describes how in the midst of the brutality of the Holocaust and the collaboration, acquiescence and passivity of millions, there were people who risked their lives to save others out of a sense of shared humanity. This book is more timely than ever."—Stuart E. Eizenstat, author of Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II

These powerfully illuminating and inspiring profiles pay tribute to the incredible deeds of the Righteous Among the Nations, little-known Holocaust heroes who saved countless lives during the Holocaust.

Less than a century ago, the Second World War took the lives of more than fifty million people; more than six million of them were systematically exterminated through crimes of such enormity that a new name to describe the horror was coined: the Holocaust. Yet amid such darkness, there were glimmers of light in this essential World War II history—courageous individuals who risked everything to save those hunted by the Nazis. Today, as bigotry and intolerance and the threats of fascism and authoritarianism are ascendent once again, these heroes’ little-known stories—among the most remarkable in human history—resonate powerfully. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, has recognized more than 27,000 individuals as "Righteous Among the Nations"—non-Jewish people such as Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler who became Holocaust rescuers, risking their lives to save their persecuted neighbors.

In the Garden of the Righteous chronicles extraordinary acts at a time when the moral choices were stark, the threat immense, and the passive apathy of millions predominated. Deeply researched and astonishingly moving, this work of WWII nonfiction focuses on ten remarkable stories, including that of the circus ringmaster Adolf Althoff and his wife Maria, the Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Italian cycling champion Gino Bartali, the Polish social worker Irena Sendler, and the Japanese spy Chinue Sugihara, who provided hiding places, participated in underground networks, refused to betray their neighbors, and secured safe passage. They repeatedly defied authorities and risked their lives, their livelihoods, and their families to save the helpless and the persecuted. In the Garden of the Righteous is a testament to their kindness and courage.

In the Garden of the Righteous illuminates the astonishing power of moral courage through unforgettable accounts of heroism:

• Ten Unforgettable Heroes: Discover the deeply researched true stories of courage from ten ordinary people—including a circus ringmaster, a diplomat, and a cycling champion—who risked their lives, livelihoods, and families to defy the Nazis.
• The Righteous Among the Nations: Go beyond the stories of Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler to learn about the thousands of unsung Holocaust rescuers honored by Yad Vashem for their extraordinary acts of kindness.
• Inspiring Acts of Kindness: Go inside the secret underground networks that provided hiding places, secured safe passage, and refused to betray their neighbors at a time of immense apathy and threat.
• A Timely and Resonant Message: At a time when bigotry, intolerance, and authoritarianism are once again on the rise, these powerful accounts of anti-Nazi resistance and compassion are more relevant than ever.