Celebrating those people who rise above the rest, who step into the history books by acting in humanity’s pivotal moments, is an important part of how we choose the values we bequeath to the next generations.
This Fourth of July, along with the rest of this country, I celebrated the heroes of our American Revolution. On July 5, I had the unexpected honor of celebrating another hero, whose selfless acts in the months before the outbreak of WWII saved hundreds of lives and whose example has now inspired thousands of acts of kindness around the world.
Sir Nicholas Winton was a young Londoner enjoying the trappings of his budding career as a stockbroker when an unexpected encounter led him to eventually rescue 669 Jewish Czech and Slovak children just before the onset WWII. His story has now been made into a documentary by the name of Nicky's Family and the film will be showing in NYC at the JCC Manhattan, the Quad Cinema, the Kew Gardens Cinema and the Malverne Cinema stating on July 19.
I had the pleasure of watching the film on July 5 and it reminded me that while we often think that opportunities for heroism abounded in the past much more than today, it is in finding ways to make a difference now and acting in the face of difficult odds that leads to real heroism.
For his actions then and for the example he has become today, Sir Winton has even been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. If you watch the film and are moved to endorse this petition, you can do so by clicking here.
Mihai Morar, Chief of Staff