Page 11 - Issue 24

from Slovakia who demanded to avoid demonstrations
and engage in the rescue of as many Jews as possible. In
the end, the Slovakian perspective was decisive,” Alpen
said.

According to Alpen, Zionist youth movement leaders in
Hungary chose rescue over fighting because by then it
was clear the Germans were losing the war, and by then
in was clear what being deported to Auschwitz meant.
Plus, there were almost no men in the movement, and
next to no military training.

"The thought was that there were almost no more Jews
left in the world, and that the rest needed to be saved,"
he explained.

What motivates you and what message do you want it
to convey from this story?

"I do all this because it is important to me that the
youth, and especially the members of the youth
movements who are the same age as the rescuers were,
know the story of how the youth movements chose to
rescue the Jews who were not from their families. They
did not do it for money. They stayed in Hungary to save
lives."