WEBVTT - Short Stuff: Aristides de Sousa Mendes

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, and welcome to short Stuff. I'm Josh. There's Chuck,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's Josh the other Josh, and this is short stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>Did I say that already? I don't know enough talk, Chuck.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's get to it. We're talking today about a man

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<v Speaker 1>who is shamefully or was shamefully overlooked by history, starting

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<v Speaker 1>to get his due, finally named Aristide de Susa Mendez

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<v Speaker 1>do amaral at Branches. I think I came awfully close.

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<v Speaker 1>My Portuguese is a little rusty, seeing as how I've

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<v Speaker 1>never spoken a word of it in my life, and

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<v Speaker 1>not bad. We can call him, uh, the Portuguese Oscar Schindler,

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<v Speaker 1>and that should give you a good idea of where

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<v Speaker 1>this episode is headed. Okay, Ariste di Susa Mendez, We're

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<v Speaker 1>just gonna leave it at that. Um. By the time

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<v Speaker 1>rolled around had become a career diplomat for Portugal, he

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<v Speaker 1>was trained as a lawyer and um. By the time

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<v Speaker 1>he was assigned to Bordeaux, France in night Um, he

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<v Speaker 1>had been all over the world. He was definitely a

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<v Speaker 1>senior diplomat in the diplomatic corps for for Portugal. That's right,

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<v Speaker 1>so uh. In nineteen thirty eight, like you said he

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<v Speaker 1>was in France. World War two comes knocking on his door.

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<v Speaker 1>Germany invades Poland, and Portugal was like, I really like,

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<v Speaker 1>we're Portuguese. We're not into this World War stuff. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if you got the memo, but we'd like

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<v Speaker 1>to remain sort of neutral and happy over here, growing

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<v Speaker 1>olives and drinking wine. Um. And so we're gonna we're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna distribute this thing called Circular fourteen that basically says,

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<v Speaker 1>all of our our consoles all over the world, you

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<v Speaker 1>need to deny travel into Portugal for for refugees. We

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<v Speaker 1>don't like that you're being persecuted, but we want to

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<v Speaker 1>stay out of this as much as possible. Um A

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<v Speaker 1>k A. We don't want to make Hitler mad, so

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<v Speaker 1>we're not gonna take your your refugee, including the Jewish people. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>And this is the Circular fourteen. It gots sent out

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<v Speaker 1>to all consulates in Europe. And um, that was supposed

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<v Speaker 1>to be that. But this this, this this came at

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<v Speaker 1>like a time chuck, when they were apparently the New

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<v Speaker 1>York Times estimated something between six and ten million people

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<v Speaker 1>moving around Europe because chaos was just starting to brew

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<v Speaker 1>as Germany invaded Poland and then invaded France. Um. It

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<v Speaker 1>was pushing and displacing a lot of people around who

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<v Speaker 1>are trying to get out of here. Um. And I

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<v Speaker 1>looked up, like that's a pretty big number, but like,

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<v Speaker 1>what is it in in today's terms? In Germany, ten

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<v Speaker 1>million people move around the country a year on their

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<v Speaker 1>train system. In a year, this was like at once

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<v Speaker 1>there were six to ten million people moving around, and

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<v Speaker 1>they were moving around chaotically. But again Portugal said, now

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<v Speaker 1>we're not taking part in this. Just just stand there, motionless,

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<v Speaker 1>silent and don't do any thing. They're gonna have to

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<v Speaker 1>figure out a different way. Uh and and if Germany

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<v Speaker 1>gets them, well then that's too bad. And this aristide

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<v Speaker 1>to Susa. Mendez said, I don't think I can do that. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>So he's in southern France. So that was a hot

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<v Speaker 1>spot for these refugees because they were thinking we can

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<v Speaker 1>from there just go into Spain then right into Portugal.

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<v Speaker 1>That's what Lauren but called it. In Casablanca, she she

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<v Speaker 1>flew to she flew to Lisbon, that's right. But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think they could fly into Lisbon at the time. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>they could. She hops on a plane at the end.

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<v Speaker 1>Well she did right, sure, Oh oh you're saying the

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<v Speaker 1>people who are seeking help from Susan Mendez, that's right, Sure,

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<v Speaker 1>sure got you. So he knows that if he goes

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<v Speaker 1>directly against his government, this is gonna be bad news

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<v Speaker 1>for him. It's gonna be bad news for his family.

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<v Speaker 1>He would be wilfully disobeying a direct order of Circular fourteen. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>But he befriended a Polish rabbi UH name chime Hurt

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<v Speaker 1>Kruga uh, and he offered visas to this guy in

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<v Speaker 1>his family. But Krueger was like, you know what, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't. I'm gonna turn down this offer because what

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<v Speaker 1>you really need to do is save everybody that you can.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was a really sort of monumental moment for uh,

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<v Speaker 1>for Susan Mendez because he was a devout Catholic and

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<v Speaker 1>this guy was a rabbi and you know they they

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<v Speaker 1>had their mind on the same thing. It's except the

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<v Speaker 1>rabbi was just saying like, be bold, and Susan Mendez

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<v Speaker 1>was in fear of his life basically yeah, because I

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<v Speaker 1>mean like him him not listening to the Circular fourteen

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<v Speaker 1>is not it wasn't like listening. You're not listening to

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<v Speaker 1>in order from like the Jimmy Carter administration. There was

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<v Speaker 1>a dictator running the show in Portugal at the time

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<v Speaker 1>and would continue to run the show until nine seventy

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<v Speaker 1>I believe. So it was a real conundrum that he

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<v Speaker 1>found himself in. But ultimately he consulted his own conscience

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<v Speaker 1>and he said, no, morally, I I have to do something.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't just sit by. And he did. He he he

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<v Speaker 1>took um, he took the advice of this rabbi and

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<v Speaker 1>at the in Bordeaux Um he's set up basically an

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<v Speaker 1>assembly line for for stamping and signing any and every

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<v Speaker 1>visa application into Portugal that was was handed to him

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<v Speaker 1>by anybody. He tried to get as many people safe

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<v Speaker 1>passage into Portugal as he he physically could. Yeah, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think, given what's uh, I'm going to get minor

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<v Speaker 1>political here, what's going on in this country today? We

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<v Speaker 1>should read this quote uh from Susan Mindez. I have

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<v Speaker 1>it all in my hands now to save the many

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<v Speaker 1>thousands of persons who have come from everywhere in Europe

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<v Speaker 1>and the hope of finding sanctuary in Portugal. They are

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<v Speaker 1>all human beings and their status in life, their religion

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<v Speaker 1>or color are all together immaterial to me. So let's

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<v Speaker 1>dwell on that during the message break and UH, we'll

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<v Speaker 1>be back right after this. I hope that that was

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<v Speaker 1>a UM. Everybody got a sixty second mid role from

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<v Speaker 1>the A C l U just now. So they're running

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people through this thing. I mean, like

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<v Speaker 1>you said, it was like an assembly line, and they

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<v Speaker 1>were stamping visas like they were running out of stamps.

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<v Speaker 1>They were stamping visa so fast. Yeah, there's there's no

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<v Speaker 1>way that he didn't get a hand cramp on the rig. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>Tens of thousands of people, UM, many thousands of which

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<v Speaker 1>were Jewish, were granted these visas under his authority. UH.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was later said it was perhaps the largest

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<v Speaker 1>rescue action by single individual during the Holocaust, and that

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<v Speaker 1>includes Oscar Schindler. That's huge, yeah, Schindler. I think UM

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<v Speaker 1>was responsible for making sure that twelve hundred people successfully

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<v Speaker 1>escaped the Holocaust. UM sus Amendez UH was responsible for

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<v Speaker 1>for likely many many thousands more than that, Like they've

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<v Speaker 1>identified so far at least thirty eight hundred recipients from

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<v Speaker 1>forty nine different countries. UM but they're like, there's there's

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<v Speaker 1>thousands and thousands more just from this assembly line that

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<v Speaker 1>they set up from I believe the beginning of May

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<v Speaker 1>until um July when Bordeaux was overrun by the Nazis

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<v Speaker 1>and the whole operation was broken up. So repercussions for sure. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>July nineteen forty, he was recalled from Bordeaux to face

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<v Speaker 1>trial for in subordination and uh he basically says in court,

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<v Speaker 1>you know what, um, I answered to God, I would

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<v Speaker 1>rather stand with God against man than man against God.

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<v Speaker 1>And he was convinced that he was had a moral

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<v Speaker 1>defense and he was right, and he was convinced that

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<v Speaker 1>the actual constitution of Portugal prohibited persecution based on religion,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was right there as well. But it didn't

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<v Speaker 1>matter because, like you said, they were living under a dictatorship.

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<v Speaker 1>In in in October of nineteen forty, he was found guilty.

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<v Speaker 1>He was relieved of his duties and blacklisted by the

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<v Speaker 1>government for the rest of his life, and very, very

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<v Speaker 1>sadly died in nineteen fifty four at the Franciscan Hospital

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<v Speaker 1>for the Poor in Lisbon. Yes, not penniless. I noticed

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<v Speaker 1>this article said he was broke. I don't know how

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<v Speaker 1>much you dislike the word pennyless to describe somebody who

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<v Speaker 1>dies broke. I didn't not see that said penniless. There

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<v Speaker 1>was like I think in the Tesla episode we did,

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<v Speaker 1>you're like, I hate that word really, yeah, because you're like,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure he's got a penny I didn't know that

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<v Speaker 1>he was supposedly didn't have any money, but yeah, he

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<v Speaker 1>was broke. I mean like they they broke him. They

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<v Speaker 1>basically said, you're not gonna have any more government work, um,

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<v Speaker 1>and good luck finding anything but a government work in

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<v Speaker 1>a bureaucratic dictatorship. So he, uh, yeah, he was. He

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<v Speaker 1>was blacklisted, he was black bald, and he died in

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<v Speaker 1>poverty with his family also taken down with him. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>like this guy said, and he knew the risk, and

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<v Speaker 1>he said, I'm I'm going to put all these other

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<v Speaker 1>families in front of my own family. And like, if

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<v Speaker 1>you're a utilitarian, that makes a lot of sense because

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<v Speaker 1>even two families are worth more than one family. But still,

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<v Speaker 1>this is this guy's own family that he's putting under

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<v Speaker 1>the under the gun to help all of these others.

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<v Speaker 1>But he did not regret it. Towards the end of

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<v Speaker 1>his life, he said, I could not have acted otherwise,

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<v Speaker 1>and I therefore accept all that has befallen me with love.

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<v Speaker 1>How's that for a lesson? It is a great lesson.

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<v Speaker 1>And now he is typically mentioned along with Oscar Schindler,

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<v Speaker 1>who is no slouch himself. No, no, what he did,

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<v Speaker 1>but I mean, like Susan Mendez also deserves a decent

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<v Speaker 1>amount of credit as well. And slowly but surely it

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<v Speaker 1>started to come around. His daughter, Joanna Susa Mendez Um

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<v Speaker 1>really started to beat the drum to to revive for

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<v Speaker 1>father is standing in the world. In nineteen sixty six,

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<v Speaker 1>she got a petition approved so that her father would

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<v Speaker 1>be named a righteous among nations, which is what the

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<v Speaker 1>Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. It's

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<v Speaker 1>an honor that they bestow on non Jews who went

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<v Speaker 1>to great links and placed themselves at great risk to

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<v Speaker 1>save people from the Holocaust. So that was a big

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<v Speaker 1>first step, and that took place in nineteen sixty six.

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<v Speaker 1>But they kept going and then eventually a daughter from

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<v Speaker 1>one of the people that he saved directly joined this too. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean he was. He was honored a few times

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<v Speaker 1>in eighty seven, the US Congress um convinced the Portuguese

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<v Speaker 1>government to officially apologize. And then after these ancestors of

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<v Speaker 1>the survivors started coming forward, and they started digging these

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<v Speaker 1>people up and compiled of a list. So far, this foundation,

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<v Speaker 1>the Susan Mindees Foundation UM, which is co founded by

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<v Speaker 1>his grandchildren and descendants of the people that he saved,

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<v Speaker 1>which is just an amazing story. Uh. They've compiled a

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<v Speaker 1>list of about thirty eight hundred visa recipients in forty

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<v Speaker 1>nine different countries, and they are still on the lookout

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<v Speaker 1>for more people. It's like this big uh, sort of

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<v Speaker 1>dispersed family all over the world. Yeah. And and they

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<v Speaker 1>make the point too that not only did he save

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<v Speaker 1>all these people, you know, this minimum of thirty eight hundred,

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<v Speaker 1>but probably thousands and thousands and thousands more. He he

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<v Speaker 1>directly saved their lives, he also ensured the lives of

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<v Speaker 1>their offspring who hadn't even been born yet, who are

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<v Speaker 1>now born and have have, um, you know, managed to live,

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<v Speaker 1>who otherwise wouldn't have lived had it not been this

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<v Speaker 1>for the direct intervention of this guy. Amazing. Yeah, So

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<v Speaker 1>hats off Aristide Susan Mendez that's a great name. When

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<v Speaker 1>you're a great guy. We do a lot of hats

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<v Speaker 1>off in these shorties. I like it. I yeah. It's

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<v Speaker 1>kind of a celebratory series, isn't it. Yeah? Here and

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<v Speaker 1>there is for sure, or we talked about to some weird,

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<v Speaker 1>dumb thing that no one knows about ever understands. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>but that's what people like, right, that's right. Okay, Well

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully you like this one. UM. If not, don't tell us. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>see you later. M H. Stuff you Should Know is

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