Francis Caplan

Francis Caplan at her 95th birthday

A hero is someone who will fulfill a courageous act without taking the consequences into consideration. A hero is someone who knows when to take a risk, someone who understands each person’s problems and can figure out how to solve them without hurting others. I believe that a hero is someone who is motivated to change the world as we know it today. That is why my definition of a hero is not a person who donates billions of dollars to charity, but a person who tries to change the world one step at a time. Francis Caplan was motivated to do all of those things.

Today my great grandmother's name is Francis Caplan, but when she immigrated her name was Fruma Amitan. Francis Caplan did a courageous act without considering the consequences. My great grandmother was born in Latvia, Europe, in August of 1916. Today she is still alive at the age of 96 years old. To me, my great grandmother is a hero because before the Holocaust she left for America so she could earn some money for her family. While she was in America her family was suffering in the Holocaust. My great grandmother went back to Europe even though she could have been caught and killed. My great grandmother earned enough money to go back to Europe. She traveled on a boat in the steerage section. When she got there she rescued her sister and took her back to America. To me, this was a very courageous and brave act of kindness. My great grandmother did not hesitate to go back. She went back to Europe without considering the consequences. That is why my great grandmother is a hero.

My great grandmother did a courageous act which had an effect on my entire family. If it wasn’t for her, no one from my family would be here today. If my great grandmother did not leave Europe, she could have been killed in the Holocaust with the rest of her family and I would not be here today. When my great grandmother came to America she got married and had two daughters. One of her daughters had my mother. One way or another, if it wasn’t for her, I would not be here today.