The American Spectator

At Large

(Page 2 of 2)

p>Still, purebred "Aryans" shared food and protected Jews. Ilse Rewald, who went into hiding with her husband after the deportation of several of her relatives, wrote the Center publication, "Berliners Who Helped Us to Survive the Hitler Dictatorship." In it she explains: br> /p>

On January 11, 1943, it is a winter day 20 degrees C below zero with a biting east wind, I go to the P. family who I do not know personally at all. I have heard of their great compassion and constant willingness to help only through friends. The Jewish father, a doctor, had died not long ago. The Christian daughter and mother do their utmost to help the persecuted Jews and lessen their suffering. I am so desperate that I dare to ask them for shelter. They tell me that they are already in great danger and cannot take additional risks. As I go down the stairs crying, they call me back. They could not be responsible for leaving me to the Gestapo, and they offer to let me live with them temporarily.

br> "They could not be responsible for leaving me to the Gestapo." How sublime, how courageous, how moral. These people decided they were their brother's (and sister's) keeper. They did not know Ilse Rewald. In legal terms they owed her nothing. But once she had inserted herself into their lives they accepted responsibility for her, even at significant risk to themselves.

The Center's wide-ranging exhibits cover such subjects as resistance by Jews, activities by prisoners, and the role of the church. There's also an on-line database of resisters. It is roll of death but also one of honor.

The capital cities of most European cities embody much history. But few can match the wide range of events found in Berlin, from inconceivable brutality to beautiful artistry, The Bendler Block helps bridge that gap. In the midst of great evil, a few men and women stood tall. Decades later we should continue to remember, and honor, their sacrifice.

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