Today, as we watch ravaging antisemitism and the defacing of the American flag on university campuses, prevalent examples in history of courage and bravery should spur us to respond.
In 1942, German medical student Hans Scholl was awakened to the persecution of Jews in the Western world. While serving on the Eastern Front, Scholl and his war buddies, Willi Graf and Alexander Schmorell, witnessed firsthand the Nazis’ murder of innocent Polish Jewish civilians.However, those who take courageous actions must be prepared for consequences.
Scholl committed to exposing the evil being done against the Jewish population. Together with Graf, Schmorell, Sophia Scholl, and Christoph Probst, he began secretly planting pamphlets on the campus of the University of Munich in Germany. This small resistance group titled themselves The White Rose — white roses being a symbol of purity and innocence in the face of evil. These pamphlets called upon students to rebel against the Nazi regime and the barbaric treatment of Jews with slogans of “We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace.” and “We will not be silent.”...
On February 22, 1934, Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were arrested, interrogated, and beheaded...
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