Steve Maman, a Jewish businessman from Canada, has earned the title “The Jewish Schindler” for his extraordinary efforts in rescuing hundreds of Yazidi children abducted by ISIS. Born in Morocco in 1973, Maman moved to Canada with his family, where he eventually became a successful luxury car dealer. But his life took a dramatic turn in 2014 when a news report about ISIS atrocities in northern Iraq shook him to the core. Watching the devastation inflicted upon the Yazidi community, where women and children were enslaved, motivated him to take action.
The report described how ISIS militants ravaged entire villages, slaughtering men and boys while capturing women and girls as sex slaves. The horrific fate of these Yazidi children prompted Maman to dedicate both his time and financial resources to help rescue them.
The Start of a Dangerous Mission
With no political or military background, Maman faced an uphill battle. During a business trip to Iraq, he met a Christian bishop in Baghdad, who helped connect him with local security forces. From there, Maman began raising awareness and funds through a website he launched in Canada. The public’s response was overwhelming, and soon Maman had both the financial support and the contacts necessary to launch rescue operations.
In partnership with local security teams, Maman and his group carried out daring missions to liberate children held captive by ISIS. Despite the extreme danger, they successfully freed hundreds of young Yazidis, with Maman setting a personal goal to rescue at least 613 children—matching the number of holy verses in the Torah.
A Recent Rescue: Fawzia Amin Sido
One of Maman’s most recent achievements came after a decade of ongoing efforts. Fawzia Amin Sido, a Yazidi girl abducted by ISIS at age 11, was sold into slavery and transported to Gaza after the fall of the ISIS caliphate. The man who enslaved her, a Palestinian ISIS fighter, was later killed in an Israeli airstrike. Fawzia managed to reach out to contacts connected to Maman, leading to a meticulously planned rescue operation. With the cooperation of the Israeli military, Fawzia was extracted from Gaza, taken to an Israeli hospital, and eventually reunited with her family in northern Iraq.
The Yazidi Genocide: A Continuing Tragedy
According to Amnesty International and the United Nations, ISIS murdered over 3,000 Yazidis, and the search for mass graves continues in northern Iraq. Over 6,000 Yazidis were kidnapped, and while 3,500 have been rescued in the past decade, more than 2,600 remain missing.
Steve Maman’s remarkable efforts have earned him widespread admiration, solidifying his reputation as a modern-day hero. Through his courage and determination, hundreds of children have been saved from unspeakable horrors.
