Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII

Jun 8, '16, 11:53 am

Exiled Child Veteran Member   Join Date: June 30, 2014 Posts: 12,329 Religion: Catholic

Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Isr...in-WWII-456199 Israel on Tuesday honored Japan's "Schindler" by naming a street after the Japanese diplomat who issued thousands of exit visas to desperate European Jews, against his government's orders. Chiune Sugihara helped about 6,000 Jews escape war-torn Lithuania, the advancing Nazis and an almost certain death with his actions during World War Two. Sugihara began issuing the visas in late July 1940, writing them day and night until he closed the consulate about a month later. Even as he left, he was writing visas and handing them out the window as his train pulled away, bowing and apologizing to those who still remained on the platform. The article continues at the link. __________________ Solvitur ambulando…. It is solved by walking… ~Augustine

#2   Jun 8, '16, 2:45 pm

GEddie Forum Elder Book Club Member   Join Date: March 18, 2009 Posts: 89,260 Religion: Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII An admirable human being indeed, and he paid for his actions by losing his job. I'm glad he was honored in the end. ICXC NIKA

#3   Jun 8, '16, 3:47 pm

Dwyer Regular Member   Join Date: February 26, 2007 Posts: 1,361 Religion: Byzantine Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII Quote: Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg are among the most commonly known people who have been recognized as taking extra-ordinary personal risks to help Jews and others targeted for extermination by Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist Worker’s Party in Germany , 1933-1945. Perhaps the least well known is a Japanese diplomat, Chiune Sugihara (d. 1986), who only later in life admitted to his own heroic actions, and was recognized in 1985 by the State of Israel with its highest honor. Even less well known is that Sugihara was a convert to Orthodoxy . . . While the complete story of Sughihara’s involvement in the Orthodox Church is not clear, it had, and in fact, continues to encourage a response in others. In her autobiography, Visas for Life, Sugihara’s wife Yukiko acknowledges that given he had been baptized as an Orthodox Christian she also agreed to be baptized, taking the Christian name Maria, and they were married in February, 1935 in Tokyo. An article in the Los Angeles Times ( September 21, 2002 ) entitled, “Greek Orthodox Cathedral Is Reaching Beyond Ethnic Roots,” tells the story of the growing interaction between St. Sophia’s Church and the Latino neighborhood where it is located. The pastor, Fr. John Bakas, affirmed that part of the inspiration for him came in 1995 through an invitation from the mayor of Los Angeles to attend a ceremony honoring Sugihara. Learning for the first time about his efforts which had saved the lives of thousands of Jews, Fr. Bakas also heard directly from his family that Sugihara’s actions were “propelled by his faith” as a member of the Orthodox Church. "’Here's a man who did not take the comfortable road, who reached out beyond himself and did something sacrificial in providing service to others at the expense of himself,’ Fr. John said, tearing up even today as he recounted the story. ‘Sugihara had a tremendous impact on how I perceive my ministry.’" http://www.pravmir.com/article_282.html His family said that Chiune Sugihara's motivation to save others came from his Russian Orthodox Christian faith. __________________ "It's a free country; you can say whatever you want." --Old American Saying (U.S. Postal Service stamp-- from 1977 Americana series which extols freedom of speech and features a Speaker's Stand decorated with an American Flag shield.)

#4   Jun 8, '16, 6:13 pm

Joseph3 Banned   Join Date: March 17, 2016 Posts: 2,137 Religion: Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII I am glad that this man, despite being a citizen of an Axis country, did his best to counter the atrocities of Nazi Germany. Hirohito should have honored him.

#5   Jun 9, '16, 8:57 am

tomarin Senior Member   Join Date: April 25, 2007 Posts: 7,538 Religion: Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII He and Schindler are kind of the anti-Eichmann's. __________________ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither, let my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember you -- Psalm 137

#6   Jun 10, '16, 12:18 am

Avdima Junior Member   Join Date: June 8, 2013 Posts: 258 Religion: In search of...

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII He is venerated by a few local Orthodox Churches in Eastern Europe.

#7   Jun 10, '16, 9:10 am

Wampa Regular Member Forum Supporter   Join Date: May 19, 2004 Posts: 1,165 Religion: Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII I love the story of Sugihara. I learned about it when the metal band Savatage (you know them better as Trans-Siberian Orchestra) wrote a song about him called Chance. Check it out here, especially if you like TSO. Lyrics are available in the SHOW MORE section. From 6:25 to 7:20 you'll here the vocal canon technique that the band later uses in their TSO albums. It's one of my favorites.

#8   Jun 10, '16, 2:57 pm

Nelka Forum Master Prayer Warrior   Join Date: August 14, 2010 Posts: 13,750 Religion: Roman Catholic

Re: Israel honors Japan's 'Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews in WWII Wow! __________________ "As you see Me in this chalice, so I dwell in your heart." Divine Mercy of Jesus.