Dr. Mod Helmy's 122nd Birthday

This post includes mentions of the Holocaust, which may be sensitive to some readers.

Today’s Doodle honors Dr. Mod Helmy, an Egyptian-German medical doctor who risked his life to rescue Jewish people during the Holocaust. The artwork, illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Noa Snir, represents his Egyptian and German background and captures his open-hearted nature with his arms outreached around the community. 

Dr. Helmy was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on this day in 1901 to an Egyptian father and a German mother. He moved to Germany in 1922 to study medicine. After completing his university studies, he completed his specialized training at the Robert Koch Hospital (now known as Krankenhaus Moabit) in Berlin. Soon after, as a talented physician, Dr. Helmy was appointed head of the urology department, but his good fortune was short-lived. 

Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933 upended life in Germany. The hospital soon fired all of its Jewish staff, and a few years later, and eventually Helmy, a North African, was subjected to discrimination and persecution by the Nazis and lost his position as well. 

Dr. Helmy was arrested in 1939 and again in 1940 along with other Egyptian nationals. They released him when he became gravely ill, but he was under strict ruling to report to the police twice a day and as proof that he was unfit for internment. 

The Nazis further discriminated against Dr. Helmy by barring him from marrying his German fiancée and forcing him to become another doctor’s assistant. Helmy made the most of his limited position to write sick notes that helped innocent people escape hard labor. 

Although Dr. Helmy was targeted by the Nazis himself, he put his life in even more danger by hiding his Jewish patient, Anna Boros, who would have been deported to a concentration camp. Helmy managed to keep her safely hidden even when he fell under direct police investigation.

Dr. Helmy also helped protect Boros’ mother, Julianna; her stepfather, Georg Wehr; and her grandmother, Cecilie Rudnik. Thanks to Dr. Helmy’s bravery, every one of them survived the Holocaust. 

The Yad Vashem (also known as the World Holocaust Remembrance Center) honored Dr. Helmy with the Righteous Among the Nations award in 2013. 
 

Guest Artist Q&A with Noa Snir

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Noa Snir. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A: I found the story of Mod Helmy very moving. I come from a Jewish background, and the thought of individuals outside of the Jewish community risking their lives to help others during WW2 is something that personally gives me hope about humanity. I think Helmy's case is an especially interesting one as he himself suffered persecution due to his background and ethnicity, and that still didn't stop him from helping as many people as he could. It's unfathomable to me, this type of courage and integrity.

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A: My first thoughts were actually concerns - how to correctly convey Helmy's story without focusing too much on the difficult times he operated in. I thought the hint of war should exist in the doodle, but it should still communicate hope and strength. I hope I succeeded in doing that.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: I looked at archive photos and old Egyptian stamps to draw inspiration from.

Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: That even in one of the darkest moments in world history, there were truly remarkable people who made acts of extreme courage and solidarity. I think we should all aspire to be the Mod Helmy's of the world, or ask ourselves how we can take example from him in whatever small way we can.