Two important Asian figures saved lives during the Holocaust.
1. Feng Shan Ho, the Chinese consul in Vienna, risked his life to go against his government's wishes and he secured thousands of visas for Jews to go to China during the Holocaust in Europe.
2. Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat in Lithuania, did the same for the persecuted and fleeing Jews. He had to write out each visa by hand (these were the days before the copier) and he had terrible cramps in his hands each night.
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Asian Diplomats help Jews during the Holocaust
11/14/2008 03:37 AM
#1
Asian Diplomats help Jews during the Holocaust
1. Bangkok:
Wat Pho - This is the oldest and largest Buddist Temple in Bangkok.
2. Singapore:
The Peranakan Museum - This is a fusion of Chinese immigrant and local Malay cultures.
3. Hong Kong:
The Peak Tower - This is a 120 year old funicular railway to a wonderful entrtainment center featuring many shops and restaurants.
4. Shanghai:
The Shanghai Museum - Stunning exhibits of Chinese ancient art. There are bronze sculptures and paintings ranging from Ming to Quing, and even furniture.
5. Tokyo:
The Meiji Shrine:
This is a classic temple dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife.
Dear Dottie,
Please post your pictures about each of these places! You are a wealth of information.
Suzi
There is a wonderful picture book biography of Sugihara, "Passage to Freedom" by Ken Mochizuki:
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http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Freedom-Sugihara-Ken-Mochizuki/dp/1880000490
The paperback version is published by Lee and Low. This book is suitable for use with middle and high school students.
Susan Dubin
Hi Folks,
Thanks for the posts by Dottie and Susan, please keep them coming. Before starting a new thread, please first see if there is an existing thread that is appropriate to the topic you want to discuss. For example, the role of Asian diplomats in World War II might be taken up in the high school ideas (since that period is taught in high school):
http://uschinaforum.usc.edu/showpost.aspx?PostID=386&PageIndex=5
For photos, etc. of various Buddhist sites, you might post those here in the middle school thread (since the rise and transmission of Buddhism is covered there):
http://uschinaforum.usc.edu/showpost.aspx?PostID=385&PageIndex=12
And you might find this thread on local temples interesting:
http://uschinaforum.usc.edu/showpost.aspx?PostID=7761
Thank you for posting this!
I am currently reading Number the Stars with my students (historical fiction from the time of the Holocaust). My students are so interested in learning more about the Holocaust, and it'll be great to make this connection between what we've been learning about Asia and our current area of study!
-Karen
It's interesting to see how different countries reacted to the Holocaust. In the Dominican Republic where my parents are from, the dictator Leonidas Trujillo allowed several hundred Jewish families from Europe to settle on the island. Although his intentions weren't all altruistic, he gave the Jewish community territory on the northern coast in a town called Sosua. The community thrived for several years and founded a Synagogue and a dairy farm that is still in operation. "In Sosua there is also a small Jewish Museum next to the synagogue. Moreover, there is a Sephardic Bet Midrash which is dedicated to instruction of classical Hebrew, the Spanish-Portuguese rite, and teaching of Jewish Law." - Wikipedia