Zyta Eliahu - February 3, 2008
Learning a Lesson from Winton
Do you think there's a lesson of some sort in Nicholas Winton's story?
In the Kindertransport?
Well in his in particular.
In?
In Nicholas Winton's story.
It just shows--Nicholas Winton's just shows that there are people--presume that there are good people--it just shows that there is--that there are good people in the world who are wiling to put themselves out a great deal and are willing to invest a great deal and go to a great deal of trouble to help other people. Because I think what really touched him was when he came in '38--he was actually on a winter holiday and his friends said, "You must come to Prague," and I think what touched him was seeing all these children that had no where to go and no where to be and that's what got him started. But he wasn't really doing it from a Jewish point of view because he didn't really see himself as a Jew.
Do you think it left an obligation with the children?
Obligation with the children?
Of how to behave and...
Well, it left an obligation that you should help other people. And I'm involved in voluntary work through the Women's Hadassah Organization. I don't know if you're familiar with Hadassah...
Mm-hm.
Yes? I'm involved in voluntary work and it also happens to be children--Ethiopian children...
Ethiopian.
Yes. So, I used to--I think--you know what I really--I mean, if I help somebody, if I do something if I can, I always remember how the foster family took me in and how kind and good they were to me. Some of those people say, "Well, why, why are you doing this voluntary work?" I said, "Look, I mean, besides what was done for me, I can never give it back to the people who did it so you give it to someone who needs it." And I said, "You can't--especially now that I'm on pension, you can't just give for yourself, you have to give to other people too," and I think is maybe the lesson that we learned.
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