Giorgio Perlasca

Giorgio Perlasca during World War II https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Photo_of_Giorgio_Perlasca.jpg

Most of you are familiar with the mass murder of Jews during World War II from 1941 to 1945, known as “The Holocaust”. During this time more than six million people, mostly of the Jewish faith, as well other persecuted groups, were sent to concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, and systematically executed under the control of the German Nazi regime and its dictator, Adolf Hitler.  Most of the Jews that were rounded up and captured were eventually exterminated in the concentration camp gas chambers they were sent to.  Here, the unsuspecting prisoners were forced  like cattle into buildings believing that they were going for a shower, when in fact, they were being marched to their death, while others suffered deaths too unspeakable and horrific to imagine.

Although countless millions lost their lives during the War, there were many that were spared thanks to the heroic acts of people like, Giorgio Perlasca. Perlasca was one of Europe’s great heroes. He constantly risked his life to save at least 5,500 Jews from the gas chambers and certain death. Parlasca would pose as a  Spanish diplomat and issued fake papers and provided protection and shelter for as many people as possible. While doing this, he showed many traits that are considered heroic. Giorgio Perlasca possesses braveness and selflessness, therefore he is a hero.

Giorgio Perlasca is a hero because he is extremely brave and risked his own life under perilous conditions to save others. Perlasca was a Italian fascist who fought in the Spanish Civil War. He avoided being drafted to fight in World War II, by siding with the Spanish. From there he took matters into his own hands and used his Spanish power to save Jewish lives. One quote says, “He changed his first name from the Italian ‘Giorgio’ to the Spanish ‘Jorge.’ Perlasca later said, ‘At first, I didn’t know what to do, but then I began to feel like a fish in water. I continued giving out protective passes and looked after the Jews in the ‘safe houses’ flying the Spanish flag. As the proverb says, “Opportunity makes the thief” (The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous 3). Perlasca posed as a fake Spanish diplomat while issuing protective passes for Jews and providing safe houses for them. If he was caught by the Germans doing this, the consequences would have been so severe that he would have been killed for his acts. His actions, under such extremely difficult and perilous situations, show just how selfless and brave he was. Another quote supporting his bravery says, “The Hungarian government then discovered that the Spanish officials had been harboring Jews in their houses and embassy and began raiding the homes of diplomats. With Budapest in chaos, Ángel Sans Briz and other officials received orders to vacate immediately. He left a note for Perlasca imploring him to leave too. Realizing that without protection many Jews would be killed, Perlasca bravely decided to remain.” (Levin 4). Despite being informed that the homes of Spanish diplomats were being raided, that people were being taken and transported to concentration camps, and that diplomats were also being killed, he choose to stay!  By deciding to stay, he placed his own life, by the hands of the Nazis, in perilous danger.  However, despite the risk to his own life, he decided to stick up for what he believed was right: to protect the people he had already saved, rather than saving his own and leave them stranded and helpless. His action, in this particular example, further highlight just how brave he was. His actions relates back to the main idea of this essay because he chose, at this particular moment, to stay despite the danger he placed himself in. His actions portray all the traits of braveness. Perlasca, despite the information he received, could have run away and saved himself, but instead he decided to risk it all for the people he was  protecting. Giorgio Perlasca is not only brave by risking his life to save others, but his very actions show a selflessness nature.

Pelasca being honored at a ceremony in 1989https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/12/During-the-Ceremony-1-Yad-Vashem-Jerusalem-September-1989.jpgGiorgio Perlasca's selfless nature is further proof that he is a hero. On many occasions, Giorgio put the lives of others before his own, and cared more about sparing innocent lives of strangers rather than protecting and saving his own. One quote states, “A violent row with an SS officer over two young Jewish children whom Perlasca insisted on taking away in the Spanish diplomatic car. ‘A young SS major pulled out his pistol, pointing it at me’” (Hallenstein 13). Perlasca was extremely selfless. The quote above shows that his life was in jeopardy, but while trying to get the 2 children into a diplomat car, he continued to argue with the officer at gunpoint. This particular example shows how he risked his own life while being held at gunpoint, but there were many other times when his life was challenged due to the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his own security if it meant that the others he was protecting stayed alive and well. Another quote supporting his selflessness says, “On April 5, 1945, Dr. Hugo Dukesz, one of the Jews saved by Giorgio Perlasca, wrote,’On this occasion we want to express the affection and gratitude of the several thousand Jews who survived, thanks to your protection. There are not enough words to praise the tenderness with which you fed us and with which you cared for the old and the sick among us. You encouraged us when we were close to despair…” (The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous 4). As shown in this quote, one of the many survivors praise Giorgio for his tireless and passionate  work.  Perlasca was extremely passionate about saving Jews lives because he had friends among them. Through his selfless concern for others, he was able to care for his friends.  This inspired him to do the right thing and help others like them. He developed a care for the people so great, which lead to him to put his own life at risk to save them. Giorgio Perlasca is a hero because he was selfless and cared for the lives of others more than his own.

Giorgio Perlasca has all the traits of a hero because he is brave and selfless. Perlasca saved more than five thousand Jews by pretending to issue them papers under Spanish protection, and he also cared for and put the lives of the people he saved before his own. Giorgio Perlasca is an inspiration to us all because he saw innocent people being treated terribly, taken from their homes, kept as prisoners and massacred just because of their faith. He choose to take matters into his own hands, and by risking his own life for years, save thousands of innocent lives. His story should inspire people today to help those in need, not judge anyone because of their looks, religion, race or disability, and to never let anyone or anything stop you from doing what is right.

Works Cited:

Hallenstein, Dalbert. “Obituary: Giorgio Perlasca.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media,

18 Aug. 1992, www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-giorgio-perlasca-1541233.html.

Conference, Claims. “Perlasca, Giorgio.” The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous,

jfr.org/rescuer-stories/perlasca-giorgio/.

Levin, Chana. “The 'Italian Wallenberg' Who Saved Over 5000 Hungarian Jews.” Aishcom, 15 Nov. 2017,

www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Italian-Wallenberg-who-Saved-Over-5000-Hungarian-Jews.html.