Witness from Plovdiv in Bulgaria about bishop who saved Jews
One of the most moving testimonies given on screen in the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem is that of Rina Sha'ashua Hason, originally from Plovdiv in Bulgaria. At the center of her testimony is the Bishop of Plovdiv, Metropolitan Kiril.
In March 1943, the Nazis published an order to deport the Jews in the town of Plovdiv in Bulgaria. The community was rounded up in the school yard under guard and the bishop arrived and demanded to be allowed to enter. When he was refused permission, he climbed over the fence and promised the Jews that he would look for help. He addressed himself to the king, to Church authorities and even threatened to block the railway tracks with his own body. His efforts bore fruit and the Jews were released.
To hear the testimony of Rina Sha'ashua Hason on YouTube
Memorial to the Jesuit Righteous Among the Nations