UNLIKELY HEROES

In a time with baseless hatred, brutality,, and destruction, Unlikely Heroes recovers the little-known stories of heroic Jews who exemplified courage and humanitarianism in the face of depravity.  These individuals joined resistance movements, rebelled against their oppressors, and fought for human rights and dignity.  They did not, as a persistent myth suggests, submit to the Nazis like “sheep to the slaughter,” but rather rose above the difficulties, accomplishing incredible feats.

While it is crucial to focus on the overwhelming cruelty and scope of the Nazi persecution, it is also our duty as educators to reinforce the stories of human courage and triumph during this time.  Unlikely Heroes explores the lesser-known dimension of Jewish resistance in the Holocaust.  We must acknowledge that some Jews did risk everything to fight for their lives and the lives of others.  Focusing on these individuals enables us to grasp the significance of what occurred, and reminds us of the power of personal responsibility and communal values.

I want to use the Unlikely Heroes documentary as modules that individual students can take themselves.

Step 1:  Print out the documentary guide and fill it in as you watch the

                  clip.  Pause at any time to learn a little bit more or dig a little

                  deeper into a topic.

Step 2:  Watch the documentary clip.

Step 3:  Download the Answer Key to self-check your answers.

Step 4:  Do the Follow-Up Activity

Click and choose from any of the following 7 stories:

1.  Dr. Willie Perl - The Lawyer

2.  Robert Clary - The Entertainer

3.  Recha Sternbuch - The Rabbi’s Daughter

4.  Friedl Dicker-Brandeis - The Artist

5.  Leon Kahn - The Partisan

6.  Hanka & Astusha Wajcblum - The Sisters

7.  Pinchas Rosenbaum - The Master of Disguise