Liviu Librescu’s Strong Moral Fibre At Virginia Tech
LIVIU Librescu survived the Germans and the Nazis and then was killed at Viginia Tech. He is now the totem the news agencies can rally around.
On Channel 4, news anchor Jon Snow has been having a conversation with Librescu’s son Arie Librescu, whose English is at best rusty.
Snow says that because the elder Librescu survived the Holocaust he was of “strong moral fibre”. How does Snow know this? Many Holocaust survivors would just say they were lucky. Did Snow meet Librescu? If he had he’d surely mention it. Snow would have the scoop.
Anyhow, this is the report on Librescu.
This from Israel National News:
“As Israel observed Holocaust Day, thousands of miles away, A Romanian-born Holocaust survivor gave his life in another senseless murder - and apparently in an act of heroism.
Among the 32 people killed by a lone gunman at Virginia Tech Monday is 77-year-old engineering professor, Liviu Librescu, a citizen of Israel. According to eyewitness accounts, Librescu ran to the door of his classroom and blocked it with his body – preventing the gunman from entering but getting shot to death himself as a result.
Alec Calhoun, a 20-year-old student who had been in Librescu’s class in room 204, told a reporter that at 9:05 a.m. they heard screams and a loud banging sound from the next-door classroom.
When the students realized it was gunfire, he said, some hid behind tables, and others leapt from the classroom’s windows. Calhoun himself was among the last to jump.
“Before I jumped from the window, I turned around and looked at the professor, who stayed behind, maybe to block the door. He had been killed.”
Posted: 17th, April 2007 | In: Twitterings Comments (36) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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April 25th, 2007 at 1:48 am
The morning after the shooting at Virginia Tech, the wife of Professor Liviu Librescu e-mailed his students, asking them to tell her what happened in class during the minutes before her husband was killed. Here are excerpts of their replies:
“When the shootings started [nearby], everyone in the room just seemed to be dumbstruck by what was going on. One student tried going out the front door but as soon as he opened it, it sounded as if the gunshots started coming towards us. Dr. Librescu shut the door and stood guard after the student ran back into the classroom. Almost immediately students started jumping out of the window in sheer fear of what might happen.”
“I was huddled in the back of the room when I saw people going out the window and, almost instinctually, I followed them. I feel guilty to say that I was one of the last ones out before the shooter entered the room. If your husband was not at the door, I don’t know what would have happened to me or the other students…. I wish that I had acted differently or helped Dr. Librescu with the door. Maybe together we could have stopped the shooter from entering or harming anybody. I am so sorry. I will always remember him and will be praying for him for a very long time. My heart goes out to you.”—Josh Wargo
“I cannot even begin to tell you how sorry I am for what happened yesterday. I know that he died trying to block the door so we can all jump out the window. We tried to get him to the back of the classroom with us, but he insisted on staying by the door. That is all I know about his last minutes. He was a great and caring man, and I feel honored to have known him for this past year.”—Andrey Andreyev
“At approximately 9:45 AM we heard the first gunshots coming from the neighboring classroom. Quickly afterwards, Dr. Librescu shut the door to our class. Most of the students immediately got out of their seats and paced around the front of the classroom.”
“I was sitting near a window in the back of the class. We heard people screaming after many quick, intermittent gunshots. At this point I opened the window and removed the screen and shouted out that there was a bush to jump on. I was the first person out of the second story window. … I made it safely to the ground. Once I saw several other students coming out the window, myself and about 6-8 of the students sprinted to a neighboring building….”I kept replaying the events in my head and I wish so badly that we did something so that the entire class could be safe. I feel horrible because there was little chance Dr. Librescu would jump out the window….I will greatly miss him and remember him forever.”—Jesse Wells
“I’m grateful for knowing your husband. I’ve always admired his huge heart that he had for everyone. . . . He was more of a friend, always asking me how I am doing and so on. He would take time after class just for a short nice talk about how I am with life in general.”
“I’m so thankful for him, he saved my life.”—Christina Krohn
April 21st, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Funny? where’s the humour in Channel 4’s cod concern for a herioc individual?
April 21st, 2007 at 10:34 am
Well, like Al Franken, you tried to be funny - but you’re just not smart enough to pull of satire on a serious issue (especially this one)
April 20th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
disgusting post
You Brits are the most arrogant people on the face the earth
“Gica Says:
Borat, you talk about truth yet you fail to acknowledge the fact that HE WAS NOT Israeli, he was ROMANIAN! **But I can see why Hitler was so pissed off**… ”
With people like you, No wonder that Romania is the poorest pitiful country in Europe.
April 19th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Drew gets it. Anti-Semitic!That’s some leap. You may care to watch Channel 4 news - there be anit-semitism everywhere. Incidences of anit-semitism - dressed up as aniti-Israel - are plentiful.
To see anti-semitism here is wrong and demeans real examples of racism - see http://www.anorak.co.uk/twitterings/172567.html
And - no - I would not join this band of anti-semites if paid to…
April 19th, 2007 at 1:27 am
This has article has a twisted tone. Can this writer set aside his selfish anti-semitic agenda and get the facts straight!
The fact is that Liev was a Holocaust survivor. The other fact is that he saved his life for the sake of others. The Jewish proverb says “One who saves one person saves an entire world”. He should be honored as a hero. Give credit where credit is deserved!! G-d bless his soul.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
“One of the few good things about modern times: If you die horribly on television, you will not have died in vain. You will have entertained us.”
—Kurt Vonnegut
April 18th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
A sarcastic bastard - I can live with that.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
First, Dr. Librescu was a hero whose moral fiber is obvious. Even had he died in his bed, publishing hundreds of articles while earning a reputation for caring about his students shows a strong work ethic, a love of Science, and a love for his students which very few people can muster.
Still, Jon Snow said something moronic. The typhus bacteria is no judge of character. Neither is starvation, overwork, a Nazi bullet or Zyklon B. The selfless and courageous perished by the millions during the Holocaust.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Ariella,
Thanks for your comments. My great grandfather left Romania to come to the US and his brother and maybe other family members stayed in Romania. I only found out about the existence of the other branch of our family in 1999, through the Internet. My father talked to Liviu on the phone. I e-mailed him once or twice.
Strangely enough, my father, who lives in Florida was interviewed today by two local TV stations, which is kind of weird since he never met Liviu Librescu, although they talked about getting together. My dad regrets now that he never arranged a meeting.
I’ve re-read Anorak’s post in light of his comments and I understand what he was trying to say. I apologize for calling him a “tool.” The problem was a result of bad writing rather than mean-spiritedness. He was trying to say that the media is insincere, and instead, he came off sounding like a sarcastic bastard.
Blog posts are often rushed, and one doesn’t always take the time needed to clarify what one is trying to say.
Marc
April 18th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
before the second world war romania was the country with the biggest percentage of jews in the world - about 4% - more than 600000 out of a population of about 16 million people, as romania had a very good business environment and was a prosperous country, comparable to the us or to countries of western europe. but after the second world war, due to the communist regime, most of the jews migrated, and when the state of israel was formed i think about 10 percent were coming from romania. dr librescu still lived in romania till the seventies, probably because it became very difficult to migrate out of the communist romania. so we can consider that mr librescu was romanian-israeli-american citizen. in romania on the tv news they say he was romanian, in israel israely and on the site of the virginia tech it’s written that he is us citizen.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Dear Maggot
I read your pointless piece of crap. The tone *is disrespectful*.
This statement,
“Snow says that because the elder Librescu survived the Holocaust he was of “strong moral fibre”. How does Snow know this?”
, implicitly questions this man’s morals.
I think this *is* big news, not because the man is a Jew or a Holocaust survivor, but because he gave his life to save others, in desperate circumstances. The story, as presented in the media, inspired me. Your cynicism is worthless and offensive.
PRINT YOUR NAME AND YOUR APOLOGY.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:08 am
Do you actually read what has been written? It is not a comment on Dr Librescu but on the media who jump to recognise him and distill his life into one act of survival. I know people who survived Dachau and they do not consider themselves brave or of strong moral fibre - just fortunate to have survived evil.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:44 am
Dear Mark Librescu,
I am so sorry for your loss! I read that your Grandfather and Dr. Librescu’s Grandfather were brothers. As you know, he was truly a hero, and apparently internationally loved and respected. For someone who had to endure so many hardships and atrocities, who knew better than most people how precious life is, to then voluntarily give his life up to save his student’s lives, is beyond admirable! I hope you, and the rest of your family get through the pain of this tragedy, and are able to ignore (and hopefully not even see…) the disrespectful, irrelevant, and jealous ramblings of some miserable bastard, that seriously needs to get a life! I say “jealous”, because “Anorak” could only dream of having one drop of Dr. Librescu’s courage and selfishness. Anorak is too chicken-shit to even use his real name! However, I don’t want to taint this post, by ending with that obvious truth. I hope you and your family can gain some comfort in knowing that Dr. Librescu’s name will always be associated with brilliance, altruism, and heroism!
April 18th, 2007 at 6:22 am
the man is a hero - and should be left alone. his family are not allowed to grieve and get over the shock in private but asked to respond to a cloying English TV news anchor.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Liviu Librescu is a man of honor who gave his life to save others….he was a romaian-jew and a man who gave up his life….the reporter’s i do not like and especially talking about the rusty english Liviu’s son had is wrong…that should of not even came up …..the son actually gave an interview after his father died and the reporters talks about his accent is just wrong. This person does not know how to write a article. bwt i wanna see the reporter try to learn a new language and see how that goes for hom or her….
April 18th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Steve and Gica,
IT turns out that he was very much Israeli, taking out citizenship when moving to Israel in 1978, and working at Tel Aviv University for five years.
Maybe you should read a little more before spawning your misinformation.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:29 am
Really?? A couple of men peopled the earth??
Please stick your head in the toilet and flush it.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:01 am
Time to Endorse the Noahide Covenant !
(as described By Rachav )
In the one thousand, six hundred and fifty sixth year of Creation, the LORD saw the wickedness of man [1], and brought a flood upon the earth to destroy all of mankind [2], and started again with Noah and his family [3], eight people. [4] Noah had three sons, [5] and from these sons all of mankind has descended. [6] After the flood was over G-d made an everlasting Covenant with all of mankind, [7] and also with the animals [8] that never again would He bring a flood upon the earth to destroy it. [9]
What is a Noahide? The B’nai Noach, are not “Messianic Jews,” nor are they “Christians.” Six of the Noahide laws were given to Adam, and the seventh was given to Noah. A Noahide is a person who is keeping the oldest religious tradition known to mankind, a tradition and beliefs which have been all but forgotten. A tradition which is revealed in the pages of the book of Genesis.
Noah followed the tradition of his righteous ancestor Enoch, and while the “Seven Laws of Noah” were kept by Enoch and by Adam, they were called Noahide laws because of the Covenant, made with Noah by the LORD God after the Flood, and because an additional law was added at that time, forbidding cruelty to animals, and the eating of a limb of a living animal, and the eating of blood. The Rainbow with its seven colours, is the Sign of this Covenant for All Mankind. [10]
The Noahide Covenant which is the First Covenant God made with mankind, is binding upon all the Gentiles because it was confirmed at Mt. Sinai, after the children of Israel left Egypt. The only sources that the Gentiles have of this Noahide Covenant is the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Torah (Oral Law) which was commanded through Moses, to the children of Israel. The Mosaic and Noahide Laws are inextricably bound together. The Children of Noah, the righteous Gentiles, also known as “righteous among the nations” ‘hasidei umot ha’olam’ are obligated to fulfull the Seven Commandments because they were repeated on Mount Sinai, not just because they were given to Noach.
NOTE: ‘hasidei umot ha’olam’ does not mean ‘hassidic’ gentiles as some erroneously teach.
“From Moses’ time to the present, Israel’s rabbis have taught that God gave Israel the Ten Commandments to obligate the Jews to serve Him in a unique way. The Ten Commandments apply to Israel, and Israel alone. But everyone can, and should learn from this law - which does, after all, come from the Deity Himself. And, so long as the people of Israel follow this law, they will be worthy and able to serve God by bringing their fellow human beings - all the descendants of Noach - God’s most fundamental, universal laws: the Seven Commandments, the laws of the Rainbow Covenant.” [quote courtesy of Michael Dallen Author of The Rainbow Covenant.]
Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and He said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the land. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens, in everything that moves on earth and in all the fish of the sea; in your hand they are given. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; like the green herbage I have given you everything.
4 But flesh; with its soul its blood you shall not eat. [ref.]
5 However, your blood which belongs to your souls I will demand; of every beast will I demand it; but of man, of every man for that of his brother will I demand the soul of man.
Gen. 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God He made man. [ref.]
Gen. 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I give between Me and you, and every living being that is with you, to generations forever: 13 I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between Me and the earth.
14 And it shall happen, when I place a cloud over the earth, and the Bow will be seen in the cloud, 15 I will remember My Covenant between Me and you, and every living being among all flesh, and the water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh, 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it to remember the Everlasting Covenant between God and every living being, among all flesh that is on earth. 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the Covenant that I have confirmed between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”
The Rainbow is the Sign of the Covenant that God has made with all of Mankind, and also the animals, that never again will He destroy them all with a Flood. Two of the Seven Laws are seen in this passage of Genesis. Footnotes
1 Genesis 6:11 2 Genesis 6:13 3 Genesis 6:18 4 Noach had three sons (Genesis 6:10) who each had one wife (Genesis 7:13), which makes six people. Add also Noach?s wife and Noach himself (Genesis 6:18) and we find eight people in the ark. 5 Genesis 6:10 6 Genesis 9:19 7 Genesis 9:9 8 Genesis 9:10 9 Genesis 9:11 10 Genesis 9:12
One of the 7 Noahide Laws is the prohibition of murder, and another to set up Courts of Justice.
(Source) By : Avraham’s One Village - JEWISH & benei Noach’s ONE VILLAGE
April 18th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Filutki,
I have no idea where are you from, but this article is not about America. Get over how great America is and the opportunity it offers. Here we are honoring a 77 year old Romanian- Jew who sacrificed his life to save the lives of his students!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:00 am
He was my relative and you are a tool.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:56 am
Filutki, I don’t know who you are, but you’ve sure got the wrong take on this story here. The fact is that guns are banned from the Virginia Tech campus, and that’s a real shame. If they weren’t, then SOMEONE in one of the classrooms would have taken out this nutjob before he had a chance to kill and maim so many people. The way it stands, he was able to lock the inside doors and carry out his twisted goal fully confident that there would be no one there to shoot back.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:46 am
Jesus, people, have some respect. The man was an engineering professor, not a politician and regardless of what he went through during his childhood or where he came from, he died a hero. Can’t we just appreciate his decency and self-sacrifice without turning it into a goddamn political circus?
April 18th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Great human being no matter what nationality! (anyways he was born and educated in Romania, he graduated University Politehnica of Bucharest and worked in aeronautic industy for a while)
April 18th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Borat, you talk about truth yet you fail to acknowledge the fact that HE WAS NOT Israeli, he was ROMANIAN! But I can see why Hitler was so pissed off…
Cheers
April 18th, 2007 at 1:35 am
“Making judgements about a victim on the strength of what he once endured…”
Or possibly making judgements about a 77-year-old man based on the fact that he blocked the way of a murderer so that others could be saved.
Yeah, the media, gun culture, blah blah blah. The people who were there on the scene didn’t have much time to worry about that. They had to act, and I can’t see much to criticize in the way this man acted.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:29 am
Some assholes can’t see past their own pimpled dickfaces to acknowledge a hero- a JEWISH hero- not ‘a hero for Jews,’ but for all humanity- including the small minded, hate filled, horseshit breath, anti-semites. The little hitlers can’t tolerate the truth that is so implicite in this man’s righteous actions.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Oh, and by the way Arie Librescu was rised in Romania , did the first years of school in Romania, had 2 Romanian parents.. so his mother tongue was not English! They spoke romanian in their house, their names are 100% romanian… and they lived a part of their lives in Israel.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:49 am
Long live the american democracy!
A democracy build on gun’s industry!
I don’t totaly agree with the tone of this article but it’s not completly wrong. It shows the way that the american society deals with things : the media exagerates,fat policemen that are trying to run, authorities that did not close the campus after the first attack, naivety, no respect for life what so ever but respect for dead people! Give me a break! Sick society !!!!
My God!!! The same God that every one calls in ” God bless America”… First of all guys , you have to take care of your Bush!! Stop shopping for guns! This is the real problem! Not that guy’s accent, not the tone of this article!!!
Please eradicate the law that gives THE RIGHT to buy bullets in a supermakets!! and buy guns no matter how much mentaly sick you are!!! Come live in Europe!!!! We don’t have such laws!!! Shame on you Americans!!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 12:31 am
Pathetic article ,It’s ashame people can’t act sivil even in sad times.
This guy was hero.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:31 am
Prof. Librescu was not an “Israeli” citizen but a Romanian born scientist with jewish origins.
This article sucks. shame on you!