A ceremony was held in Netanya, Israel, this week to name a street after the late Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who as vice consul at the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania issued transit visas to thousands of Jewish people during World War II, saving them from Nazi persecution.
“It’s such an honor. I wish my father was here,” said Sugihara’s fourth son, Nobuki, 67, who met with 50 local residents who survived thanks to his father.
Sugihara, the Japanese Ambassador at the onset of WW II, was instrumental in saving the Mirrer Yeshiva during the Holocaust.
As is well known, the Mirrer Yeshiva was the only Yeshiva that was saved in its totality during World War II. Many miracles occurred that helped that the Yeshiva moved all of its talmidim to the Far East, staying in Kobe, Japan and later on in Shanghai, China, for a number of years until the end of World War II.
The emissary who helped to save the Yeshiva was Mr. Sugihara, who had mercy on these talmidim, despite disobeying his government who were allies with the Germans. At great personal sacrifice, he helped to provide them and their Rebbeim with life saving visas, which enabled them to travel through Russia and eventually to Shanghai.
In the case of Mr. Sugihara, the title “hero” is truly appropriate. His sacrifice to help save the Mirrer Yeshiva and thousands of others put his career and perhaps even his life in jeopardy. The actions of Mr. Sugihara helped indirectly to give a Torah Chinuch for thousands of talmidim, who learned from the Rebbeim and Yeshivos established by the students of the “Alter Mir.”
Sugihara’s decision to rescue the Mirrer Yeshiva students and faculty not only saved these individuals, but ensured the unbroken chain of the Mesorah that continues in the Mirrer Yeshiva today, as well as their students and descendants .The Mirrer Yeshiva is a foundation in rebuilding Torah after the traumatic loss of so many Talmidei Chachomim and Yeshivos during the Holocaust.
{CB Frommer-Matzav.com Newscenter}
An overdue honor!
A well deserved honor, but not an “overdue” one. Mr. Sugihara has been recognized on many occasions by Israel and Jews worldwide for his selfless, heroic actions in World War 2.
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם {מד}. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ט) כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם. חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בָנִים לַמָּקוֹם. I have read in some seforim that “Tzelem” is unique to Yisroel, but the Mishna from Avos just quoted disproves this as it continues that Yisroel are בנים, but all human beings were created in the image of G-d. Sugihara was mikayem והלכת בדרכיו