There Was a "Japanese Schindler” Worth Learning About

Two days ago, I had some posts about Holocaust Remembrance Day. I usually have a few posts about it on that day.              

Then yesterday, I had another one, this one about an op/ed article that took the position that it is more important than ever to remember the Holocaust this year, given some of the hate and white supremacist leanings prominently on display during the recent Capitol insurrection, with numerous flags and other symbols of white supremacist groups in evidence, as shown by photographs and video of the event. This has also been a recurring theme among far too many Trump supporters, and these images and videos are no longer even really surprising. Nor is the spike in hate crimes that the Trump years seemed to have brought about, unless you really think that this spike just happened to be coincidental, something that seems, frankly, unlikely.              

Now, one last article that I encountered, but which seemed very important to write a blog entry about.       

This was fascinating. It was an article about a Japanese version of Oscar Schindler, who of course was the famous German from the Czech Republic who went to Krakow during the Germany occupation there to try and make his fortune. He did well at first, and was living large. But in the end, he became more concerned about saving as many Jews from the Holocaust as possible. It was something that would not be forgotten by the Jews whom he saved, and he was honored many years after his death, and he had died virtually penniless. Also, it should be noted that he put himself at risk while saving Jews, as he could have faced severe ramifications, and possibly even death. His story was immortalized in a powerful movie directed by Stephen Speilberg, and where Liam Neeson played Schindler.              

There are other examples of similar bravery to save Jews from the Holocaust, but admittedly, I was not aware of the Japanese version of Schindler.

His name was Chiune Sugihara. He is not a household name, like Schindler, although he probably should be. He was responsible for saving thousands of Jews during World War II. Apparently, he saved about 6,000 Jews from the Nazis, despite the Japanese actually being close allies of Nazi Germany.

How did it happen? That in and of itself is a fascinating story of this diplomat who went against his own country, as well as of their close and powerful allies, the Germans, in order to save thousands of people who otherwise likely faced certain doom.

Please click on the links below for the full story of this remarkable man. The first link is from the Washington Post, and which I myself could not access fully, not being a member. The second link is open to everyone, from The Guardian. Of course, you can do your own research and Google him, if that is your preference. But this is a man in history who deserves to be known, remembered, and honored. 

“A Japanese Schindler” The remarkable diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during WWII by Gillian Brockell, January 27, 2021:  

Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese Schindler, saved thousands ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/01/27/chiune-sugihara-jews-holocaust-japanese-schindler/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0uKv6kYASxGtu9jE5j62qR2VnjE_u3-Gp-X5QUxMrxG22VjhXY5jWSr0c

My father, the quiet hero: how Japan’s Schindler saved 6,000 Jews by Jennifer Rankin, 4 Jan 2020.  

Chiune Sugihara’s son tells how he learned of his father’s rescue mission in Lithuania, which commemorates his achievements this year

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/04/chiune-sugihara-my-father-japanese-schindler-saved-6000-jews-lithuania