In May 1940, Rabbi Haim Kruger escaped Brussels with his family and fled to Bordeaux in southern France. He joined thousands of Jewish refugees who were running from the advancing German army and believed France was a safe haven. Soon enough, though, it became clear that the Germans were overcoming the French army as well. On June 14, Paris fell.
Rabbi Kruger hoped to cross the border into Spain, a country which kept neutral but was on friendly terms with the Nazis and was therefore considered safe. But passing into Spain required a visa to Portugal, and Portugal was no longer willing to provide these visas. A few months before the Nazis launched their offence on Western Europe, the Portuguese government instructed all its employees to stop issuing visas to refugees, especially to Jews, unless they had a UK citizenship.
Stranded in Bordeaux, with their last hope for escape destroyed, the Jewish refugees felt despair and doom.
Rabbi Haim Kruger with De Sousa Mendes
One day, a large, official car stopped near the local synagogue where most of the refugees camped. Aristidies De Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul, got out of the car. He approached Rabbi Kruger who was standing nearby and asked him about himself. Rabbi Kruger told him how he had escaped from Brussels with this wife and five children. The consul invited them to stay in his own house, but Rabbi Kruger refused thinking it unseemly that he would stay somewhere more comfortable while the rest of the refugees remained crowded and struggling.
Aristidies De Sousa Mendes
The plight of the Rabbi touched the consul's heart. Perhaps it was the five children (he had 14 children of his own), perhaps it was the respect of a religious person for a religious office. At any rate, he offered Rabbi Kruger visas for him and his family.
Rabbi Kruger told the consul the terrible fate that awaited the Jewish refugees if they didn't manage to escape, and begged him to issue visas for everyone. After some hesitation, Mendes agreed.
For 12 days in June, Mendes, assisted by his wife and two oldest sons, worked tirelessly to issue visas to tens of thousands of refugees, at least 12,000 of whom were Jews. People slept on the consulate floor and skipped meals, giving up everything in order to get a visa. One wealthy person offered Mendes two bags full of gold for a visa. Mendes refused the offer and issued him a visa anyway.
For 12 days in June, Mendes, assisted by his wife and two oldest sons, worked tirelessly to issue visas to tens of thousands of refugees.
The frenzied issuing of visas could not have last forever. Soon, the Portuguese government, headed by the dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, discovered what their consul in Bordeaux was doing. On June 24, Mendes was recalled to Portugal by Salazar. On his way back to Portugal, he continued to issue visas for refugees.
The disciplinary process against Mendes was severe. He was forced to retire, stripped of his lawyer's license, and became subject to social blacklisting that made it impossible for him or for his children to find a job. Eventually, all of his children emigrated from Portugal. De Sousa Mendes himself died in 1954, never regretting his wartime behavior. To his lawyer he wrote: "In truth, I disobeyed, but my disobedience does not dishonor me… Above the order, for me, there was God's law, and that's the one I have always sought to adhere to without hesitation."
"I disobeyed, but my disobedience does not dishonor me… Above the order, for me, there was God's law."
Luís Felipe Mendes was the last of Aristides de Sousa Mendes’ children to leave Portugal, immigrating to Canada in 1948. His son, Gerald, who lives in France today, was 10 years old when he first found out that his paternal grandfather was a hero.
"It was 1966 and Rabbi Haim Kruger, along with other people saved by my grandfather, had invited my father and all of his siblings for a special event in New York, in honor of my grandfather," he recalls. Only when he came back did Gerald's father tell his son the full story about his grandfather, Aristides de Sousa Mendes.
"Before that trip, my father hadn’t told anybody except my mother about his father," Gerald explains. "He was made to understand that nobody wanted to hear that story. Once, when he first arrived in Canada, he tried to tell a Roman Catholic priest about his father's deeds. The priest told him never to mention that subject again. The Catholic church believed that Salazar was a good Catholic, they didn't want to hear anything against him."
For years, Gerald's father had kept quiet. But after the event in New York, Gerald started hearing a lot about his grandfather. "As a kid, I thought what he did was really cool," he says with a smile. "I was very proud of him."
Gerald Mendes
The children of Aristides de Sousa Mendes never stopped seeking justice for their father. Eventually, in the eighties, a combination of media exposure and political pressure on the new Portuguese government achieved that goal. When the president of Portugal visited the U.S. in 1987, he met the family and apologized for the treatment de Sousa Mendes had suffered. He also awarded him the Order of Liberty posthumously. In 1988, the Portuguese parliament voted to dismiss all charges against de Sousa Mendes and restored him to the diplomatic corps.
But that is not the end of the story. A few years later, a group of descendants of survivors who escaped the Nazis with the help of de Sousa Mendes' visas established a foundation in his honor.
"The foundation has located more than 4000 people who escaped with those visas," says Gerald Mendes. "Some of them didn't even know my grandfather was disobeying orders. They thought the Portuguese government was saving them. Others, who did know my grandfather's courage, didn't know about the price he had paid."
Through the foundation, Gerald Mendes has met many descendants of survivors who were saved thanks to his grandfather. "It is amazing to meet all these people, productive citizens of many different countries. I have forged personal friendships with many of them, and I am grateful to my grandfather for going to the lengths he had gone to save these people's ancestors."
"I believe the story of my grandfather needs retelling again and again," says Mendes. "We live in a time where some far-right groups try to deny the Holocaust, deny acts of rescue like my grandfather's. We need to tell the story."
Despite the severity of the consequences, nobody in the family ever questioned Aristides de Sousa Mendes' decision to risk his career and status to save lives. "The family paid a heavy price, but it has never made any of Aristides de Sousa Mendes' children regret what their father had done. Even before his name was cleared, they had always been proud of him."
(25) David Kasrelevicius, April 7, 2021 8:29 PM
Great story to be retold again and again.
One of the most beautiful stories I have read. I met many Mendez persons in my life in South America, next time I see one of them I will relate the story.
(24) H.E.Brown., April 7, 2021 8:00 AM
Helpful and Saving Other.
Thank you for this article. Very uplifting. Even when surrounded by evil people it always encouraging to know there are good people also. I was one year old when this took place. God will reward people like him. God's law is always higher than man's laws. Even now with the turmoil going on now, God help us to remember God's Laws.
(23) Reuven Frank, April 6, 2021 12:14 PM
Righteous...
I agree with the others.
This man should be awarded the status of
RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD!
I wish I knew how to get the process rolling.
(22) Anonymous, April 6, 2021 10:57 AM
very moving story.
Has this gentleman been remembered at Yad Vashem , in The Avenue of the Righteous ? He certainly deserves a position there. Very courageous man. May God Bless his family
(21) Allan ParkAnother, April 5, 2021 5:35 PM
Another special human being........
He was a man of outstanding courage and action and most certainly occupies a special place in Heaven. May his story be told to all new generations in honor to his soul.
(20) Warren Viner, April 5, 2021 3:59 PM
Thank you for these stories.
Atrocity and horror have existed since the beginning of written and oral history and they are not something to forget. The sacrifices and good deeds that specific people have made to combat those atrocities and horrors are equally not to be forgotten. Thank you AISH.COM for sharing the stories of those who were not Jewish in decent or ethnicity but whose human sensitivity and religious conviction shone with the strength of Job.
(19) Anonymous, April 5, 2021 3:29 PM
Wonderful courageous man. A hero.
We were fortunate to have people during the holocaust who cared enough about others to save them from death even though they risked their own lives.
(18) Harry Lewkowicz, April 5, 2021 3:22 PM
A wonderful story about an amazing person
Aristides de Sousa Mendes' decision to risk his career and status to save lives, shows that he was an amazing and courageous person.
(17) Max, April 5, 2021 2:54 PM
recognition
Seems like righteous among the nation status is missing?
(16) Feigie, April 5, 2021 1:59 PM
Uad vashem
Gerland us your grandfather listed among the righteous at yad vashem? We heard so much about the japanese consul who saved so many but i never heard about your gf actions tho i am a child of survivors. I am very heartened by his acfions and my mom will put his actions in the timeline to counter the current jew hatred in social media and the usa. Thank you
(15) Jay Factor, April 5, 2021 1:47 PM
A True Hero
Here is a man, a righteous man among nations, who single-handedly saved thousands of people. We need to find others who also did this and honor them properly. More humanitarians like this will help eradicate anti-semitism.
May he rest in peace, he of blessed memory.
(14) Rachel, January 7, 2019 2:47 AM
That is so admirable.
(13) Linda Saban, May 23, 2018 4:24 PM
amazing.
Saving a life is like saving the world. what an amazing story, should go viral
(12) Fred Walker, May 8, 2018 8:20 PM
Love this story
I lived in Belgium during ww2 Christian friends saved my life. This brings back memories.
(11) Anonymous, July 12, 2017 5:10 PM
Was Mendes from Jewish herit
Mendes is often a Spanish or Portuguese Jewish name. He looks more Jewish than Portuguese or Spanish. Is it possible that his was one of the Converso families during the Inquisition and that's why he felt empathy?
(10) rivka rand, July 11, 2017 4:35 PM
great article
i am a grand daughter of Rabbi Kruger. My mum is his youngest child and lives today in Strasbourg, france.
Gerald Mendes! your grandfather was a true Hero and thank to him many people were saved
happy to see this story is being shared
(9) Anonymous, July 10, 2017 5:01 PM
Blessing
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story of courage and kindness. May the Mendes family always be blessed in memory and honor of their grandfather, the righteous example he created and the goodness that his family now stands for.
(8) Anonymous, July 10, 2017 4:52 AM
Also honored at Yad Vashem
Also worthy of note: De Costa Souza was the first from Portugal (in 1966) to be listed among the Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem. Since then only two from Portugal have been added.
(7) Janice Stern, July 9, 2017 5:14 PM
Read of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese man who did the same.
This man was not alone; Read of a Japanese dipolomat who did the same:
Sugihara Chiune and the Visas to Save Lives: Assessing the Efforts to Memorialize a Japanese Hero
Eldad Nakar
January 1, 2008
Volume 6
Issue 1
Sugihara Chiune and the Visas to Save Lives: Assessing the Efforts to Memorialize a Japanese Hero [1]
Sculpture at the Yaotsu Memorial representing visas
(6) Henny Moëd Roth, July 9, 2017 2:36 AM
Heroic Portuguese Consul Aristides de Sousa saved many MOED relatives
I am very grateful to the late Consul Aristides de Sousa for his heroic actions. May his memory be a blessing to his descendants!
(5) Hoffman Elyane nee Beja, July 8, 2017 5:04 AM
Saved by the Portugues consul in Paris
My birth name was Esther Beja
We were saved by the Portuguese consul in Paris
Changed my name from Esther to Elyane in Coimbra
We arrived in Portugal in 1943 with a group of family and friends from PARIS and Marseille
I live neo in Melbourne Australia
Elyane Hoffman
(4) Kenneth Ongeng, July 7, 2017 9:02 AM
Do good, die for good and fear the Lord alone
You save life of a Jew, you save yourself. God told Abraham; "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you"
Mendes' descendants will be blessed forever because of the good deeds of their forefather.
(3) Tziporah, July 7, 2017 2:25 AM
Doing right is never wrong, but one who does may suffer!
It is no "coincidence" in this time of rising anti-Jewish sentiments that such heroes of goodness like Portuguese Consul de Mendes Sousa and the Japanese Consul to Lithuania Sugihara are being recognized for their generous humanitarian acts in the face of rampant hatred, for saving Jewish lives even tho' they personally suffered for doing what was right. May the world recognize & promote such righteousness!.
(2) Mika Krok, July 6, 2017 3:34 PM
A rare person, he saved so many lives not ever thinking of the consequences of the dictatorship in Portugal. May God keep him in his arms. Amen !!!
(1) Anonymous, July 6, 2017 2:43 PM
Movie The Consul of Bordeaus
a movie about Aristes de Mendes Sousa was made several years ago. It presents the story and is a must watch. The movie is called "The Consul of Bordeaux"