How Did a Salvadoran Colonel Save 40,000 Jews in World War II?

As the Holocaust raged, one Salvadoran diplomat quietly defied the Nazi regime. José Arturo Castellanos Contreras secretly forged Salvadoran passports to save Jewish families from Nazi extermination, turning a small consulate into a refuge for thousands.

His bold actions defied his own government and the Nazi war machine, showing that even the quiet bravery of one individual can change the course of lives — and history. 

Big Ideas

1. Salvadoran diplomat José Contreras saved the lives of tens of thousands of European Jews by providing them with forged documents.
2. Contreras’ heroic actions weren’t known about until well after the end of World War II.
3. Contreras refused to consider himself a “hero,” saying that others would have done the same.

Essential Questions

1. To what lengths will people go to help others in need?
2. What does it mean to be a hero?
3. Is it important to recognize others for their good deeds?