With Every Tragedy, There Is A Hero
Liviu Librescu, 76, was a professor of mechanics and engineering at Virginia Tech University. This man has survived the holocaust and Russian labor camps, or Gulags, as they are more commonly referred as. That alone would make you admire this man. But Mr. Librescu was killed Monday during the VT shooting rampage. A man like Mr. Librescu would not go easily. He threw himself in front of the shooter and allowed all his students to survive. I certainly hope the students, faculty, and the university will put together some kind of permanent tribute to Mr. Librescu.
Here is short biography of Mr. Librescu:
Librescu was sent to a labor camp in Russia as a child and saved by the townspeople. His father was deported by the Nazis.
As a scientist working under Nicolae Ceaucescu's oppressive regime, Librescu was forbidden to have any contact with sources outside Romania. He defied the ban, continuing to publish scientific articles secretly.
His Zionist affinities eventually caused him to be forced out of his job. In 1978, the Librescus emigrated from Romania to Israel, where they raised two sons. In 1986, the family moved to Virginia for Librescu's sabbatical. While they only planned to stay in the United States a year, but have lived there ever since.
Librescu's second son, Arie, told The Jerusalem Post that his father had served as an "ambassador" for Israel in a community with many Muslim residents, but few Israelis.
I could never imagine how hard this must be for his family, but I would think the fact he was hero in the midst of tragedy, would help with the healing process.
