Jews saved by U.K. stockbroker to reenact 1939 journey to safety

Haaretz ^ | 09/02/09 | Yehuda Lahav

[Natufian]

Nicholas Winton was a 30-year-old British stockbroker in the summer of 1939, and had been planning to spend his vacation in Switzerland. But when Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in March of that year, he obeyed the secret dictates of his heart and traveled to Prague instead. He was not given any official mission, he had no diplomatic connections, he had no secret contacts. But thousands of children, many of them orphans, were already anxiously awaiting their future in various camps there.

[Natufian]

What a guy. He didn’t even mention what he’d done afterwards. Talk about doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing rather than some celebrity or reward. We need more like him today.

[iowamark]

Winton considered the rescue project so natural that he never bothered to mention it, even to his wife Grete. His activity came to light only 50 years later, when she was looking for something in the attic of their home and found an old suitcase with a scrapbook from the war years that included a list of the 669 rescued children.

Sir Nicholas Winton celebrated his 100th birthday in May.

[Cindy]

There’s probably a lot more like him [doing good deeds and heroic acts that will remain unnoticed and unpublished] — they just aren’t talking about it.

[Natufian]

For sure.

[Cindy]

I’m so glad you posted this article.
It’s very touching as well as inspiring.
Thank you.

[Talisker]

Don’t tell any liberal he was a stockbroker. Their heads will explode.

[Mister Fleas]

“There’s probably a lot more like him [doing good deeds and heroic acts that will remain unnoticed and unpublished] — they just aren’t talking about it.”

But God always notices. :)

[txzman]

Great Story! Thanks for posting. How the world would be such a different place if everyone acted like Winton!

[Cindy]

Yes. :>)

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

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[Eleutheria5]

Crumbs from the capitalist table. Hmph./s

[Eleutheria5]

This has inspired me to add another page to my Bli Teven web site, still under development: http://sites.google.com/site/bliteven/home/chassidei-umot-haolam-1

[RobbyS]

A great legacy: 5000 people—to date—owe him their lives.

[dfwgator]

Exactly, just as in the final scene of Schindler’s List when the descendants of all the Jews Schindler saved were shown lining up to pay tribute at his grave.