Episode 17 – He Who Saves One Life, Saves an Entire World

August 3, 2013 5 Comments

This week, we’ll be discussing the life and career of Sugihara Chiune, a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to World War II. In 1940, Sugihara gave up his comfortable life and career to save thousands of Jewish refugees in Eastern Europe from the Nazis. We’ll discuss what he did, why he did it, and why I think it’s important this week.

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

PBS put together a documentary series on Sugihara; their evidence is available here.

Yad V’Shem (the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem) houses its evidence on Sugihara here.

Images 

Sugihara Chiune at the height of his career working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Sugihara Chiune at the height of his career working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Sugihara Yukiko at the time of her marriage. Courtesy of the Jewish Virtual Library.
Sugihara Yukiko at the time of her marriage. Courtesy of the Jewish Virtual Library.
The old Japanese consulate in downtown Kaunas. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.
The old Japanese consulate in downtown Kaunas. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.
A line of Jewish refugees outside the Japanese consulate requesting visas during the Summer of 1940. Courtesy of the Jewish Virtual Library.
A line of Jewish refugees outside the Japanese consulate requesting visas during the Summer of 1940. Courtesy of the Jewish Virtual Library.
One of the transit visas issued by Sughiara Chiune. Courtesy of Yad V'Shem.
One of the transit visas issued by Sughiara Chiune. Courtesy of Yad V’Shem.
The Sugihara Memorial in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.
The Sugihara Memorial in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation.

5 thoughts on “Episode 17 – He Who Saves One Life, Saves an Entire World”

  1. Pingback: Chiune Sugihara | Zee-Rebel
  2. Pingback: Jul 16 – “The Righteous Gentiles” | Holy Women, Holy Men

  5. I just re-listened to this episode. It has been almost five years since I first heard it, and I think it is one of the most moving episodes that you have done. I first heard of Sugihara through this episode, and he has been one of my biggest heroes ever since. I regret that I did not have time to visit the Sugihara Memorial in Yaotsu on my last trip to Japan, but I hope to see it someday.

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