85 years ago, in July and August of 1940, Chiune Sugihara, known as the “Japanese Schindler,” risked his job and reputation to save thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Born in 1900 in Japan, Sugihara later served as a diplomat at the Japanese consulate in Kaunas, Lithuania. During WWII, he spent up to 20 hours a day handwriting and signing transit visas for Jewish refugees, issuing over 2,000 visas that ultimately helped around 6,000 people escape. When he was forced to leave the consulate in 1940, he continued writing visas from the train window, reportedly saying, “Please forgive me. I cannot write anymore. I wish you the best.” Thanks to his heroic actions, tens of thousands of descendants of those he helped are alive today. In 1984, Yad Vashem recognized Sugihara as Righteous Among the Nations.
Photo: Yad Vashem
