Review: "We pay tribute to the righteous, only to ignore them."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 28, 2012
The Rescuer is a fascinating take, not only on Varian Fry, but on the whole topic of "righteous Gentiles.".  I have no reservations about the risk and the value of the work of Varian Fry.  He was abandoned by our own government once the Vichy became the ruling body in France.  Fry had a list of important Jewish intellectual icons to smuggle out of Nazi Europe.  His intent was to save European civilization.  He acted in many ways against his own self interest.  Yet I had never heard of him, and no movie ever told his story.  In fact the very people he saved turned their backs on him once established safely in America.Horn raises several interesting points for me.  She notes that in the Yiddish literature of the doomed Jewish population, there are no contemplations of the bravery of rescuers.  Therebisnonly mourning, anger, and disbelief for the loss of a people.  The story of rescuers is is a Hollywood story in which the brave and good are seen in resolution.Why did the list to be saved only invoke the shining stars?  Why did the nations of the world collude in the slaughter?  Contrary to protestations, we did know and we could have done something.Finally, what makes a rescuer?  My favorite comment in the book was that rescuers do not think of themselves as heroes.  They tell you honestly that the only choice was the one they took.  This book is not fun to read, but itis thoughtful and well documented.  Bear witness.