Unsung HeroDefining the word hero is difficult. The dictionary states that a hero is any person admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, especially in war. For most people, the definition of a hero is left up to interpretation. Some people believe a hero is an exceptional athlete, but others think it's the local cop making headlines for a job well done. It all depends on the individual who defines what a hero is. Jan Karski is a hero for several reasons; he proved himself brave, he proved his intelligence and he lived to tell his story. It is often said that Karski tried to stop the war himself and failed (O'Keefe). His attempt to stop the war failed but his voice was heard. Thanks to his efforts, other countries became more involved and opened their eyes to what was happening. Even though it failed, it played an important role that helped end the war. Jan Karski was born in 1914, in Lodz, Poland (Block 170). He was the youngest of eight children. Karski's father died when he was young, and not knowing it left him unable to love him. On the other hand, he had great respect for his mother, he loved her (Block 170). At school he was a good student. His strong subjects were history, poetry and literature. According to Karski, "Jews have always been strong in science" and during his school years he was great friends with a group of Jewish boys. This group of young people, including Karski, helped each other with their studies. Karski finished school in 1931, his mother did not want him to join the army, so he went to college instead. He graduated in law and diplomatic sciences and received his master's degree in 1935 (Block 170). After graduating, Karski began working... halfway... during the war and throughout his life and thanks to him, we have the books that remind us of what he had to go through to help save the world. Bibliography: Works Cited Block, Gay and Drucker. Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust. New York-London: Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc., 1992Cavanah, Frances (ed.). We Wanted to Be Free: Refugee Stories. Philadelphia: Macrae Smith Company., 1971 Lewin, Zofia and Wladyslaw Bartoszewski. "Account of Jan Karski." University of Pennsylvania: English Department home page. 1999. October 1, 2000. O'Keefe, Theodore J. "A Secret Report of Jan Karski." The Journal forHistorical Review (www.irh.org.). 1986. October 1, 2000. Wood, E. Thomas, and Stanislaw M. Jankowski. Karski: How one man tried to stop the Holocaust. city: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994