Ordinary Acts, Extraordinary Impact: Lessons from ‘One Life’

On my way home from a vacation in Colorado, I watched ‘One Life’, a new film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.

The film recounts the true story of a young English stockbroker who rescued 669 child refugees living in desperate conditions in Prague as the Nazi advance into Czechoslovakia loomed. He managed to find foster homes for them in England.

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the world is our classroom, and everything we observe should be viewed as guidance for our mission and purpose in life.

The lessons are clear, especially in light of this week’s Torah portion.

Lesson one: Ordinary people can have a profound impact. Every moment, we face a choice—do we simply observe what happens around us, or do we make a difference by adding value to others’ lives? Do we care for those around us, or do we remain indifferent? 

Nicholas Winton chose to care for these young children, who had little to no shelter or food, while the world remained indifferent to their plight.

Lesson two: To what extent do we truly care? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone to help others? Are we prepared to make significant sacrifices? Do we ever stop trying?

For Nicholas Winton, life came to a standstill as he prioritized the rescue of these children above all else. He mobilized every resource for this cause. As he once said, “If something is not impossible, there must be a way to do it.”

Lesson three: The reward is extraordinary. By “saving one life, we save an entire world.” More than anything, human beings need spiritual nourishment, and it’s only through helping others that we can truly attain it.

At the end of the film, Nicholas Winton is seated in a BBC auditorium on live TV, unaware that the entire audience consists of the children whose lives he saved through his courageous kindness. Few scenes are as moving and inspiring as this one. As he turns to face the crowd, the profound sense of fulfillment is palpable.

Yosef Vogel