Moral Heroes of the Holocaust

Presented as part of the Butterflies of Hope and Remembrance initiative.

During their darkest hours, when the Jews of Europe stood mostly abandoned and alone in the face of Nazi persecution, the darkness was at times pierced by the shining light of a brave and decent fellow human being who had the courage to come to their rescue.

In this lecture, we will discuss the individuals who took enormous risks to live up to the basic tenets of humanity by rescuing human lives.

In a world and a time of mostly perpetrators and bystanders, these few extraordinary individuals, from many different countries and from all religious backgrounds were the up-standers. These rescuers exhibited courage, empathy, and solidarity,and are the true moral heroes of the Holocaust. 

Andre Krauss is a published historian and researcher with a PhD in Social Psychology and a PhD in History of Art, as well as 40 years experience as a university lecturer and researcher.

The Butterflies of Hope and Remembrance is a Holocaust awareness and education program to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII and the liberation of the Nazi Concentration Camps. From January through April 2020, Sarasota Libraries will host exhibits and displays and provide programming as part of this initiative.