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
- Salvadoran diplomat José Contreras saved the lives of tens of thousands of European Jews by providing them with forged documents.
- Contreras’ heroic actions weren’t known about until well after the end of World War II.
- Contreras refused to consider himself a “hero,” saying that others would have done the same.
Essential Questions
- To what lengths will people go to help others in need?
- What does it mean to be a hero?
- Is it important to recognize others for their good deeds?
