The Helpers

“For-get-me-not” Anne Frank wrote in a friendship book to her friend in 1939.

This was long before the mantra of Holocaust survivors became “never forget”.

Anne’s diary is one of the very reasons we will “never forget”. Yet last week a graphic adaption of her diary was temporarily banned from a Texas school district.

The Frank family, along with the van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer, were helped and protected by Miep and Jan Gies, Johan and Bep Voskuijl, Victor Kluger, and Johannes Kleinman. These helpers were known as the righteous among the nations.

Anne wrote in her diary about these helpers, "The best example of this is our own helpers, who have managed to pull us through so far and will hopefully bring us safely to shore, because otherwise they'll find themselves sharing the fate of those they're trying to protect. Never have they uttered a single word about the burden we must be, never have they complained that we're too much trouble. They come upstairs every day and talk to the men about business and politics, to the women about food and wartime difficulties and to the children about books and newspapers. They put on their most cheerful expressions, bring flowers and gifts for birthdays and holidays and are always ready to do what they can. That's something we should never forget; while others display their heroism in battle or against the Germans, our helpers prove theirs every day by their good spirits and affection."

By reading and educating children about her story, we not only learn about the past so it does not repeat itself, but also how to be righteous humans.