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Rebecca Kuperberg, Grade 10 Sergeant Anton Schmid: The Model of Heroism The dictionary definition of heroism is “the qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness.” I think heroism would be more accurately defined if next to the written definition I saw the faces of the many people who rebelled against the Nazi regime or hid and saved the lives of the unjustly repressed peoples of the Holocaust. Because without heroes, heroism is only a word. As hare said, “Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.” Without the courage and selflessness of a person such as Anton Schmid, heroism is only black ink on a paper but with an individual to embody it, heroism changes the world. Anton Schmid was drafted into the German army in 1938 and by 1941 was a sergeant stationed in Vilnius. When the Nazis arrived in Lithuania, Schmid witnessed the atrocious murders and mistreatment of thousands of Jews. But, unlike many, Anton Schmid could not simply watch and stand silent while these crimes were being committed. “You know how it is with my soft heart. I could not think and had to help them,” he wrote in a letter to his wife, Stefi. In the late months of 1939, Anton Schmid decided to do as much as he could to help the Jews. In only a few months, he released prisoners from the Lakishiki jail, smuggled food into the ghettos and saved more than two hundred and fifty Jews by hiding them, giving them false identification papers, and assisting them in escaping. He hid them in houses under his supervision in particularly rough times and transferred some to safer ghettos. He also cooperated with the Jewish underground by giving them forged materials, allowing them to meet or stay in his home, and taking them to Warsaw and Bialystok in his truck. He was imprisoned in January of 1942, taken to trial in February, and executed on April 13, 1942 by the Nazis. In 1987 he was posthumously designated as “righteous among the nations” by Yad Vashem. His widow also received recognition at that time. Anton Schmid was a hero for standing up for a cause that he believed in regardless of its negative consequences. He saw an evil in the world and set out to destroy as much of it as he could. Although recognized as a hero and righteous man today, Anton did not see his actions that way. In the final letter he sent to his wife, he wrote: “I merely behaved as a human being.” His humble nature and compassionate feelings toward all human beings made him not only a Holocaust hero but also a role model for any time. Anton Schmid is proof that an ordinary man with a feeling of kindness and hope in his heart can become a hero and affect the entire world. As I face decisions and crossroads in my life I will remember and find inspiration in Anton Schmid’s story. Just as he stood up for what was morally correct, so should I choose the path in life that may not be the easiest but will be the most ethically true. Even in day to day decisions, I will remember that there were people who chose the morally right choice when risking their lives and there is no reason why I cannot do the same under much easier circumstances. When I see injustice in the world, I will not shut my eyes and pretend that I never saw the suffering in others around me but will try to find a solution to the problem. If I make decisions and act in an honorable manner, I can become an “ordinary hero.” The future of good rests on all of our shoulders as we share the world. If I do not fix the problems in the world, who will? If it had not been for Anton Schmid and other selfless people like him, there may have been no end to the Nazi regime. To honor and remember those heroes we must resume their heroic actions and do as they would have done: bravely and unselfishly fight for good and against evil. Lastly, I will remember that being an ordinary person and of young age does not prevent me from affecting others. Being young does not mean that one cannot organize, promote, or help events that will benefit the community, country, or world. Every individual harbors immense promise and possibility. I will focus on making the best of the possibilities and circumstances given to me. One can only wonder what actions Anton Schmid would have been able to accomplish had the very people he was working against not cut his life short. But he must be remembered so that his story can inspire others to pick up where he left off. If we continue his actions in today’s world, we can all become heroes of character, courage and conscience. The medal that Anton Schmid’s widow received from Yad Vashem was inscribed with the following: “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” By these standards Anton Schmid saved the world two hundred and fifty times. Through his example, I will strive to follow in his footsteps and save the world however possible. Anton Schmid was an ordinary man who became a hero, and his story should inspire all of us to go through a similar transition to become an “ordinary hero.”
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