Vital Passage

The discovery of a lockbox buried in the basement of a former Jewish midwestern merchant's store would unlock a half century old secret. The papers inside would reveal a family's story of rescue, sacrifice and courage. In the late 1930's, David and his son Sidney Plaut owned a small shop in Goshen, Indiana. The Plauts witnessed first hand the persecution of the Jews in Germany. They decided to take action by sponsoring and assisting 28 Jewish refugees immigrate into the United States. This documentary chronicles their amazing story as they risked their business and livelihood to provide a vital passage for Jews escaping the Holocaust.