Aristides de Sousa Mendes
1885-1954
About Aristides de Sousa Mendes
Born in 1885, died in 1954
Aristides de Sousa Mendes is my Holocaust hero. His name is in Yad Veshem, which is a memorial for Jews or people who have helped Jews during the Holocaust. The Holocaust is an event in history when Hitler and his prejudice against Jews grew out of control and he started to take over different countries with his Nazi army and kill the Jews that lived there. Aristides de Sousa Mendes was the counsel-general of Bordeaux, France, which was invaded by Nazis in 1940. That same year, a rabbi asked Mendes to issue visas to people in need, which would violated the clear command of his superiors. After thinking about it for awhile he agreed even though he knew he'd get in serious trouble. He issued over 30,000 visas, including about 10,000 Jews, to go to Spain. He had a wife named Angelina Ribeiro and many children, two of the helped with the visas. When he was getting people to safety, his wife helped take care of the sick, injured, elderly, and pregnant. Word of Mendes' action reached his superiors and they had someone escort Mendes back to Portugal, where he was stripped of his title as consul general. He was forbidden from earning a living and his children were not allowed to attend university or find work. Mendes could not provide for his family and they could not provide for themselves. Their house was even repossessed and eventually sold. Before he died, his final wish was that his family clear his name, and in 1966 they did it. He was declared "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Veshem and even had his face on a postage stamp. I'm glad I picked Aristides de Sousa Mendes to write about because he is truly a Holocaust hero.
Born in 1885, died in 1954
Aristides de Sousa Mendes is my Holocaust hero. His name is in Yad Veshem, which is a memorial for Jews or people who have helped Jews during the Holocaust. The Holocaust is an event in history when Hitler and his prejudice against Jews grew out of control and he started to take over different countries with his Nazi army and kill the Jews that lived there. Aristides de Sousa Mendes was the counsel-general of Bordeaux, France, which was invaded by Nazis in 1940. That same year, a rabbi asked Mendes to issue visas to people in need, which would violated the clear command of his superiors. After thinking about it for awhile he agreed even though he knew he'd get in serious trouble. He issued over 30,000 visas, including about 10,000 Jews, to go to Spain. He had a wife named Angelina Ribeiro and many children, two of the helped with the visas. When he was getting people to safety, his wife helped take care of the sick, injured, elderly, and pregnant. Word of Mendes' action reached his superiors and they had someone escort Mendes back to Portugal, where he was stripped of his title as consul general. He was forbidden from earning a living and his children were not allowed to attend university or find work. Mendes could not provide for his family and they could not provide for themselves. Their house was even repossessed and eventually sold. Before he died, his final wish was that his family clear his name, and in 1966 they did it. He was declared "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Veshem and even had his face on a postage stamp. I'm glad I picked Aristides de Sousa Mendes to write about because he is truly a Holocaust hero.
1. "Aristides de Sousa Mendes | France"
jfr.org
Feb 25, 2015
http://jfr.org/rescuer-stories/sousa-mendes-aristides-de/
2. "Who was Aristides de Sousa Mendes"
sousamendesfoundation.org
February 24, 2015
3. "The Insubordinate Consul"
yadvashem.com
February 23, 2015
http://www.yadvashem.org/yu/en/righteous/stories/mendes.asp
jfr.org
Feb 25, 2015
http://jfr.org/rescuer-stories/sousa-mendes-aristides-de/
2. "Who was Aristides de Sousa Mendes"
sousamendesfoundation.org
February 24, 2015
3. "The Insubordinate Consul"
yadvashem.com
February 23, 2015
http://www.yadvashem.org/yu/en/righteous/stories/mendes.asp