Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War

In 1939, Unitarian minister Waitstill Sharp and his wife Martha accepted a mission from their church's leadership to travel to Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to help with the rescue of dissidents and refugees who faced persecution and death under Hitler's regime. Leaving their children in the care of their congregation in Wellesley, MA, the Sharps spent over two years working to ferry hundreds of men, women, and children out of harm's way, often while staying one step ahead of being apprehended by the Nazis. This PBS-aired documentary, co-directed by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky (the grandson of the Sharps), shines a long-overdue spotlight on two of the most courageous Americans to help the victims of Hitler's Europe find safety. Indeed, the Sharps are among the five Americans honored at Israel's Yad Vashem as some of the “Righteous Among the Nations” for their efforts during the Holocaust era. Combining rare photographs, archival footage, and dramatic recreations, together with a wealth of expert interviews and the writings of the Sharps (voiced here by Tom Hanks and Marina Goldman), this riveting film tells an inspiring story of heroism and sacrifice during the World War II years. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)