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PlacesJerusalem, IsraelYad Vashem: World Holocaust Center, Jerusalem
On 30 August 1942, in his overflowing church, Protestant Pastor André Trocmé urged his congregants to "do the will of God, not of men."
Stressing the importance of fulfilling the commandment of offering shelter to the persecuted, for years Trocmé urged his congregants to protect "the people of the bible."
The village and its outlying areas were filled with hundreds of Jews in hiding. The entire community banded together to rescue Jews, viewing it as their Christian obligation....
As news spread of the community's mass rescue activities, Trocmé was arrested and interned. While in the internment camp, the camp commander tried to pressure Trocmé to sign a commitment to obey all government orders, but he refused to comply.
Learn Pastor Trocmé's fate on Yad Vashem's online exhibition "I Am My Brother's Keeper: A Tribute to the Righteous Among the Nations."
The exhibition contains a section labeled "Under the Wings of the Church" which examines stories of Christian leaders who took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust.
On 28 August 1944, Azriel Tunik wrote to his brothers in Eretz Israel describing the pain and destruction their family and community had endured during the Holocaust:
"After much suffering and trouble, and after terrible hardships and atrocities that have never been known in human history, I am writing a letter to you today... There are families who have been completely wiped out. See for yourselves, my dears, that from the entire Tunik family in Stolpce, only Chavale and I a...re left.
Nothing remains of Stolpce, neither the people nor the houses.
Our lives have been shattered forever. We are no longer normal people. It is impossible to be human after so many tragedies. I ask of you, my dears, one thing, be strong and don't break. You are our entire hope and … apart from you we don't have anyone."
Throughout the Holocaust, the Tunik family members in Stolpce wrote letters to those family members who managed to flee to Eretz Israel.
These letters were donated to Yad Vashem for safekeeping through the "Gathering the Fragments" program.
Discover the story of the Tunik family, and read their correspondences below.
