The Courage to Care (1986)

Abstract

The Courage to Care documents the "few but significant individuals who knowingly risked their lives during the Holocaust to aid Jews" [quote from Guide]. The film profiles both rescuers and the rescued. Profiled are: Elie Wiesel (deported as a teenager with his family to Auzchwitz); Odette Meyers (hidden as a child by Catholics and members of the Resistance); Irene Opdyke (a Polish Catholic who hid 12 Jews); Marion P. van Binsbergen Pritchard (helped find homes and hiding places for Jewish children and adults); Emanuel Tanay (a Polish Jew hidden in a monastery); and Magda and the Rev. Andre Trocme (who, with those in their village of Le Cambon-sur-Lignon in France, helped to shelter thousands of Jews during the Holocaust). A Teacher's Discussion Guide accompanies the video. The Guide provides a historical background and description of the ways in which a small number of people helped Jews during the Holocaust. It includes classroom activities and key questions for classroom use. Sections are: Section 1: "The Act of Rescue:" "Insiders and Outsiders" [and] Section 2: "Having the Courage to Care" [and] "Exploring: The Roots of Courage." This film was nominated in 1986 for an Academy Award by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences as the Best Documentary Short. A United Way production for the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. The film was made possible by a grant from Mutual of America, New York, NY, William J. Flynn, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.