The Heart Has Reasons: Dutch Rescuers of Jewish Children During the Holocaust

by Mark Klempner

Book Overview

"You can't let people be treated in an inhuman way around you....Otherwise you start to become inhuman." So declares rescuer Hetty Vo te in this updated edition of THE HEART HAS REASONS, an acclaimed historical account that offers an in-depth look into the hearts and minds of the Holocaust rescuers and explores the meaning that their lives and deeds have for us today. Individually or in small "humanitarian cells," the ten Dutch people Klempner profiles...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0988567407
• ISBN13: 9780988567405
• Release Date: November 2012
• Publisher: Night Stand Books
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

An antidote to the banality of evil

"Why?" This is the question I'm often left with after reading about Holocaust rescuers. They often seem far above ordinary humans, out of the sphere of people like me - but not in this book. The Heart Has Reasons shows rescuers in the context of their lives, as people who have learned to perceive, evaluate, and think for themselves. In the words of one of them, they do "not accept oversimplified answers". Their cultural and life histories helped them see everyone as equally human with themselves. Their answers, direct or indirect, to the question of why they helped the Jews invariably return to these ideas and often describe a journey of very small beginnings. In demystifying these Dutch rescuers, Klempner in no way diminishes them or their achievements. Indeed, their nobility is increased, as they become realistic examples of what ordinary people can do to change history. In letting the rescuers tell their own stories, interspersed with historical perspective and philosophical and personal commentary, Klempner effectively shows us the traits we must nurture in all children. A true storyteller, he lets his subject dictate its form. As we get to know the rescuers, we start with the usual question and end up each time with, perhaps, the only answer that can prevent other Holocausts.

Amazing Altruism

In a world where "if it bleeds it leads," we come to think news=disaster and war=history. Cheers for a book that shines the spotlight on persons of extraordinary virtue. This book celebrates individuals who rescued Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. And addresses that essential question: how can one person make a difference? All of these heroes risked death, torture and ruin to help strangers. Even after reading these accounts, I am boggled by their altruism. Klempner refers to the Judaic myth of the righteous individuals whose goodness holds up the world. That metaphor communicates just how significant these stories are for us all. Klempner avoids pat explanations. He lets the rescuers tell their stories in their own ways, giving their own rationales. He separates out his own personal history, which is a story in its own right. And also separates out some fine short essays that place the material in a historical context. The narratives are not homogenized into a smooth package. Think of these gems as displayed in their natural state, not cut and mounted. Which preserves the authenticity of the historical record. For students of history and ethics, these stories offer a springboard to discussion and further research. While not lengthy, this book packs some highly concentrated food for thought in its brown wrapper.

Touching and relevant

The Heart Has Reasons was a surprise to me. The stories in this book are, in my opinion, less about the specific place in history that they occurred, but rather more about what we as human beings are capable of. Before reading this book, I was not terribly informed about the situation and climate of Holland during the rise of the Germans prior to and during WWII. These stories remind us that the worst of human behavior, the most absolute and utter evil, is balanced by the best that humanity has to offer. These are people who risked everything to try, in some small way, to combat the horror they saw. They did it without reward or recognition. It's important to be reminded of what people just like us are able to do; the world we live in today is no different. Mr. Klempner lets the reader inside the lives of these rescuers as well as his own. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it highly.

Great Book

"Give till it hurts" and "Give as good as you've got" was the creed my grandmother and my mother taught their children, and that permeated their own lives. This book is about Dutch people who lived this creed in dire circumstances, so dire the world had never imagined them before. It gives us the words and motivations of 10 of the luminous people who surely redeemed some bit of the evils of the Holocaust. The author is a skilled interviewer and gifted storyteller, a man who looks at truth straight on. His book is an easy read, an illuminating inspiration, an unusual penetration of the good in human hearts. It ends with a thoughtful analysis of victim and perpetrator of true evil, and those who intervened. It's an outstanding achievement! I look forward to hearing about the awards it's sure to receive.

A "Hiding Place" for the 21st Century

I didn't think I'd ever find a book to top the "The Hiding Place" in both poignancy and inspiration, but these stories by an amazing group of Dutch rescuers completely blew me away. As with Corrie ten Boom, some of them are devout Christians; others are not religious at all and it is fascinating in these times of sectarian strife to read how they all got along, united in a common goal of rescuing innocent lives. But what's equally fascinating are the rescuers' comments on our current problems: I never got to hear what Corrie ten Boom had to say about, for example, the war in Vietnam, but in this book the rescuers' speak their minds about all kinds of issues, and their words are both wise and profound. If only we'd listen to their voices! By the way, Klempner does a great job of trying to explain the rescuers in the concluding chapter, but, as he admits, this level of altruism is mysterious, and we'll never get to the bottom of it.