Varian Fry
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Varian Fry was a great man. He was born in New York in 1907 and died in 1967. He was a Holocaust Hero. The Holocaust was the work of an evil man, Adolf Hitler. His plan was to conquer all Jews. He was a bad man, who was conquered by all the brave people who risked their lives to save the Jewish people of Europe. |
Varian Fry was a part of the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) while he was an american journalist. The ERC was formed by a group of New Yorkers who were concerned about the safety of the Jewish writers, artists, and educators, so they sent Varian Fry to Marseille which was not directly ruled by the Germans. His mission was to save as many people as he could within three weeks. His three week mission turned into a 13 month stay. He thought it was his responsibility was to help as many people possible. He arrived at Marseille with a list of names and $3,000 from the government.
Varian Fry was shocked at how many people were unable to leave, so he set up a charity, which he used the office for people to escape. He saved thousands this way. He secured visas for over 3,000 anti-Nazis and Jewish to Portugal. Escaped almost 2,000 Jews to safety. He used black-market funds to forge passports and smuggle refugees out of France. Varian helped more then 1,000 refugees including Europe's leading cultural, intellectual, and political figures. All of Varian Fry's work was illegal.
Before Varian Fry died, France gave him the Legion of Honor for work in Marsielle from 1940-1941. He was honored in 1996 by Yad Vashem. Varian fry is one out of four Americans honored as Righteous among the Nations. He was the first to be listed. Varian Fry is known as The American Shindler. Varian Fry is an amazing hero for our world. Without the Holocaust heros we don't know what would have become of this world.
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