Ordinary Heroism: Seeing Individuals in the Face of Tragedy

At nine years old, Leon Leyson left his small village in northern Poland for Krakow, imagining the sights and energy of a modern city. It was 1938, and despite whispers of antisemitic danger, his family believed they would be safe.

A year later, the Nazis invaded. “Suddenly I lost my most basic rights,” Leon recalled. “I was hungry all the time, and scared all the time.” Jews were forced into the Krakow ghetto, and Leon spent his days searching for scraps of food. His father, Morris, worked at Oskar Schindler’s factory and was one of the few allowed to leave the ghetto, smuggling home bits of food. Determined to save his family, Morris sought to have them added to Schindler’s employee list.

Leon was sent to the Plaszow camp, run by a murderous commander. Seeing his name removed from the transfer list to Schindler’s factory, Leon risked his life by telling a guard it was a mistake and miraculously rejoined his family. At Schindler’s factory, Leon worked 12-hour shifts, often standing on a box to reach the machines. Schindler rewarded him with extra food, moved him to new tasks to develop his skills, and showed kindness that amazed the young boy.

As the war ended, Schindler repeatedly saved the Leyson family retrieving Leon’s mother and sister from Auschwitz after a transport error, and pulling Leon, his father, and brother from a death march back to the factory.

After the war, Leon moved to California, became a teacher, and kept his story to himself. The release of Schindler’s List in 1994 inspired him to speak publicly, encouraged by Chabad emissary Stella Eliezrie and the USC Shoah Foundation. Since then, he has shared his testimony with students and large audiences alike, combating Holocaust denial.

“The Nazis didn’t kill millions,” Leon said. “They killed individuals.” To him, Oskar Schindler was a true hero “an ordinary person doing the best he can in the most difficult times.”