"1962, Oskar Schindler arrives for a first visit in Israel to meet 300 of the Jews he saved from certain death in Holocaust. A powerful picture in time."




 
"1962, Oskar Schindler arrives for a first visit in Israel to meet 300 of the Jews he saved from certain death in Holocaust. A powerful picture in time."

Many times a day, we get chances to  accomplish something meaningful yet we look the other way. 
Driving past an old man walking and not offering a ride. (He didn't ask for one, why stop and offer!)
Walking past beggars on the street and justifying we have done our share elsewhere so we pass upon the opportunity. (He should get a job)
Offering your seat on a bus to someone older. (I got here first, I am also tired)
Preparing food for the needy and delivering it to them yourself. (I have a busy schedule, no time)
There are a so many things we can do for others, yet we don't. 
We are satisfied with our level of devotion so we simply look the other way. 
Oscar Schindler did the unthinkable. 
He put his family and himself in danger for strangers. People he didn't know and had never met. 
Yet, he risked everything for them, buying them back from the Nazis with the excuse he needed them to work in his factory. 
Everything the jews produced was thrown away. It was simply an excuse to keep as many employees / jews working, keeping them away from concentration camps, alive as long as he made them work. 
This idea had bankrupted him. Between the loss of money to make the goods he never sold and that were thrown away and the price he had to pay per jew to the Nazis. 
He could have fled the war with his money and his family, yet he chose to stay and risk everything for people he did not know. 
He wasn't jewish and that didn't matter to him. 
What brings a person to do this and what motivates a person to take such a decision when it is so easy to simply look the other way?

The concept of "an action of goodness and kindness" procures an incredible feeling of satisfaction. 
The satisfaction rises with the degree of difficulty. 
One can imagine Oscar Schindler's satisfaction when he was finally able to buy jews back from the Nazis. 
He had just saved the soul and body of a human being, basically relating to himself. 
As some point, every action is about yourself. You end up seeing yourself on the other side as the persecuted person. 
You are obligated to continue because if the person dies, you die. 
Failure is not an option. Not buying the next person from the Nazis is not an option.
It never ends. You are ready to sacrifice everything you own for the sake of saving one human being because you are saving yourself each time an opportunity presents itself. 
Every decision taken is based on you being the victim. 

This occurs because you have integrated the action of goodness and kindness. You are at the best you can ever be as a human being. 
This feeling surpasses everything one can imagine. 
At that time, you can sign your life away smiling for others. 
Nothing becomes more important than the action. Your own survival is dependent on saving others. 
You are not yourself any longer, your soul takes over and directs your action. 

Oscar Schindler wanted to remain alive, so he had to save every possible jew he could save. 

Over 1000 jews were saved and helped by him. Today they number 10000 descendants. 

The blessings, each time every one of those 10000 descendants breathes, it is to the merit of Oscar Schindler. 
Every action they do, every single one of their descendants as well for eternity, will be to his merit. 

Because he never looked the other way, he was assisted from above and his action of goodness and kindness was a success. 
Generations were and will continue to be inspired by him including myself. 

Along every step of the way, I would contemplate what he would have done and acted as he had, brushing away doubts and fear. 
The financial sacrifice, helping people I didn't know, facing Isis head on, fearing for repercussions against my loved ones, facing detractors and fake news reporters/ media, I always looked back and said to myself : he had to it much harder than me and he didn't quit. 

It is hard to explain but you get this energy and strenght , you become fearless and the mission becomes the center of the universe. 
Nothing can stop you. Anything in your way gets obliterated. 

In Judaism, it is explained that as one finds himself in the mitsva, (the action), divine providence assists you along the way,but only once you have entered the action. 
The hardest part is not to look the other way but instead to accept the challenge. 

Everything that happens to us is decreed by God. 

I was definitely chosen from above for the mission of CYCI, the Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq. 

I acted when the opportunity presented itself and the rest is history. 

Steve M.

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