blog




  • Essay / Sofia Kritikou – Everyday Heroine of the Holocaust

    We all dream of being the hero in terrible situations, but how many of us would actually experience that? And how many would get the recognition they deserve for it? There are many lesser-known heroes of the Holocaust, including Sofia Kritikou. The Holocaust can be described as the massive resettlement, exploitation and murder of millions of people, primarily Jews. Living conditions for Jews were poor and they were constantly sent to labor camps and death camps. Sofia Kritikou, an everyday Holocaust hero, is an inspiration because she overcame many reasons not to help a few Jews without hesitation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Born in 1895 and a native of Peristeri, Greece, working as a housekeeper in Athens, Kritikou was a single mother to her daughter eight years. , Agapi. Kritikou walked to work every day from Peristeri to Athens, which is about 4 km (2 mi) away. Meanwhile, “a rumor spread that food would be distributed at the Central Synagogue of Athens. The mother and two aunts of eighteen-year-old Herman “Tsvi” Kazansky went to get rations and never returned. The family learned that those who arrived at the synagogue were deported to Auschwitz and murdered.” After learning that the women had died, Tsvi's father David took the family, Tsvi, Liana (16) and Jeny (Gina - eight) into hiding, each with a false Greek Orthodox identity. Looking for a longer-term solution, David found Sofia through his "business partner in a sewing workshop who mentioned his goddaughter's mother." Despite personal problems, Sofia welcomed these people without hesitation and without knowing that they were Jewish. After learning the family's true "Jewish identity – and the death sentence she endured for sheltering them – Sofia's care never wavered." She continued to supply and hide them until the end of World War II. After the end of the war, Tsvi and Gina immigrated to Israel while David and Liana remained in Greece. In 1964, Tsvi returned to Greece, where Sofia and Agapi were, and fell in love with Agapi. Agapi converted to Judaism, changed her name to Ruth, and married Tzvi. Sofia followed her daughter and son-in-law to Israel where she died in 1995 at the age of 100. Three years after her death, on August 23, 1998, Sofia was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Having established what she did with her life, the question remains: how does that make her an inspiration or a hero? Sofia Kritikou is an inspiring heroine because, despite her own difficult times, she reached out to others in difficult times, without worrying about the consequences, even after finding out that they had lied. She is inspiring because she stood up to a fascist, violent, authoritarian and oppressive government and never gave up. She is heroic because it takes courage and strong convictions to stand up to anyone, let alone the Nazi regime. She may not have stood up to them in public or made a big scene, but she did what she could, and that should be respected and that's something to take note of. Sofia Kritikou taught us to do what we can for what we believe in. It inspires us to stay true to our beliefs and remain true to ourselves, regardless of the repercussions. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from.