Besa was a remarkable story that not only inspired me, but made me think about the holocaust in a way that I had never thought about it before. Although Albania is a small country, it changed peoples lives tremendously just for the sake of doing the right thing. When the Jews needed refuge the Albanians provided it and even went a step further by giving them homes.
To me a home is a place where a person can feel safe and loved. For the Albanian people to do that for the Jews is above and beyond the call of duty. To be shown hospitality in such cruel circumstances changes a person by showing them that even though the world can be dark, hope and love can still exist. Besa exemplified that by following an Albanian man whose father kept a Jewish mans most sacred possession, religious books, with the promise that he would return them someday. The Albanian man searched almost his whole life, even risking his own life, for the owner of the books until he found him. When the books were returned to the rightful owner, the gratitude and love that bonded these two men was so heartwarming and indescribable.
Besa inspired me to evaluate my own life and find out what my besa is worth.
No comments:
Post a Comment