COMMUNITY FOCUS
December 2020
Federation Star
13
Have you heard of Aldolfo Kaminsky, Gilberto Bosques Saldivar or Jose Arturo Castellanos Contreras? ZOOM IN FOR
By Ida Margolis, GenShoah Chair
I
f asked who the villains of the Holocaust are, most adults could name quite a few of the perpetrators of evil. However, when asked about heroes of the Holocaust, responses are often limited to Oskar Schindler, Sir Nicholas Winton and perhaps the Bielski Brothers or Anne Frank, all wonderfully portrayed in film. Now that you may have additional time for film viewing and reading, it is an ideal time to read and learn stories of additional inspirational, courageous heroes of the Holocaust. Among my favorite Holocaust heroes are two I wrote about earlier — Freidel Dicker-Brandies and Roddie Edmonds. 40 consular staff members were arrested There are many Holocaust hero stories by the Gestapo and detained in Germany that GenShoah SWFL presented profor a year. grams on in the past, including Gertruda Bosques’s feat in saving nearly 40,000 Babilinska, Chaiune Sugihara, Gilbert people from execution by the Third Reich and Eleanor Kraus, and Gino or Francoist Spain went unrecogBartali. This season, we are nized until after 2000. In 2007, hoping to present virHeroes a photographic exhibition tual programs about amazing heroines HanHeroines in his honor was mounted at the Jewish and nah Senesh, Noor Inayat &Helpers Holocaust History Khan and Irena Sendler. Museum in Mexico This month’s focus on heroes will City and on November give a little information about Gilberto 13, 2008, the Anti-Defamation League Bosques Saldivar and Aldolfo Kaminsky. (ADL) gave him the Courage to Care Gilberto Bosques Saldivar Award, created in 1987 to honor rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust Era. A Bosques was a Mexican career diplomat, wonderful documentary was made about who was stationed in France from 1939 Bosques in 2010, titled “Visa al Paraiso” to 1943 as Mexico’s Consul General. (Visa to Paradise). Fleeing the German occupation of Paris in May 1940, Bosques was instructed by Adolfo Kaminsky his government to organize a consulate Saving lives using his skill as a forger was a to represent Mexico in Vichy France. young man named Adolfo Kaminsky. As a Once Nazi Germany occupied France, teenager, he joined the French Resistance, Bosques directed consular employees to specializing in the forgery of identity docissue a visa to anybody wanting to flee to uments. During World War II, Kaminsky Mexico. Under his direction, visas were forged papers that ultimately saved the issued to approximately 40,000 people, lives of more than 14,000 Jews. This mostly Jews and Spanish Civil War refuwas not what he expected to do with his gees. In 1943, Bosques, his family and
skills, but he realized that this was a way he could be a fighter for humanity. He later went on to assist Jewish immigration to the British Mandate for Palestine. He forged papers for 30 years for different activist groups, always without ever re c e i v i n g p a y ment, because he could not stand any injustice. Kaminsky’s story is “a remarkable story of rugged survival, unique genius, great personal sacrifice, and above all, an insatiable desire to fight for what he believed to be right.” Kaminsky did not tell his story for many years, but when his daughter, Sarah, learned his story, she wrote the book, “Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger’s Life.” There is now a documentary film about him called “Forging Identity.”
To: Nancy & Hank Greenberg In memory of Andy Greenberg From: Jane Schiff To: Leo & Edan Goldenpine In honor of Leo & Edan From: Barbara & Gene Goldenziel To: From:
Carol Halbert & Family In memory of Stanley Halbert Phyllis & Stanley Magrill Estelle & Stuart Price Dena Robbins & Family
To: From:
Perhaps you have recently read the name of José Arturo Castellanos Contreras, who, as the Consul General for El Salvador, along with Gyorgy Mandl, helped save nearly 40,000 Jews and Central Europeans from Nazi persecution by providing them political asylum and safety. The community will have the opportunity to learn more about Colonel Castellanos and how he helped local Holocaust survivor Rob Nossen at the upcoming Holocaust Museum Virtual Luncheon Winter Fundraising event on Dec. 10. For more information, see page 14 or go to the Holocaust Museum website, hmcec.org.
Tributes
Debbie & Gary Kohler In memory of Norma Topp Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Diane & Jeff Shein Leslie & Mel Springman Phyllis & Steve Strome
To: Maureen Schaab In memory of Bertha Griffith From: Jane Schiff To: Jane Schiff In honor of your new home From: Deborah Zvibleman
Fabulous Events in January
For full details on these and other events in the Jewish Book Festival, see pages A1-A8 in this issue.
Debbie Cenziper
Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
Susan Jane Gilman Monday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.
José Arturo Castellanos Contreras
Tributes to the Jewish Federation Campaign
Five More
To: Judy Sommerfeld In memory of Bob Sommerfeld From: Lin & Ron Klein To: From:
Marion & Margo Stein In memory of Ken Stein Judy & Stuart Kaplan Leslie & Mel Springman
To: From:
Myrna Wernick In memory of Chuck Wernick Cathy & Philip Zacks Bonnie & Alan Ziskin
Alexandra Silber Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
TWO-AUTHOR EVENT
Janice Kaplan
&
Jill Wine-Banks
Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m.
Meg Waite Clayton Monday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.
Tributes require a minimum donation of $18. To place a Tribute in the Federation Star in honor or memory of someone, please contact Nathan Ricklefs at the Federation office at 239.263.4205 or nricklefs@jewishnaples.org. Tributes require a minimum donation of $18. A note will be sent to the person you are honoring. Tributes help further the work of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.
To register, please visit www.JewishBookFestival.org.
