Chiune Sugihara
(1900 - 1986)
Chiune Sugihara, and his wife Yukiko, are honored as "Righteous Gentiles" for their efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust.
In the course of human existence, many people are tested. Only a few soar as eagles and achieve greatness by simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity. This is the story of a man and his wife who, when confronted with evil, obeyed the kindness of their hearts and conscience in defiance of the orders of an indifferent government. These people were Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara who, at the beginning of World War II, by an ultimate act of altruism and self-sacrifice, risked their careers, their livelihood and their future to save the lives of more than 6,000 Jews. This selfless act resulted in the second largest number of Jews rescued from the Nazis.
A movie about Sugihara, titled Persona Non Grata, premiered in the United States on January 31, 2015, during the Atlanta Jewish Films Festival. Directed by Japanese-American director Cellin Gluck, it is a biographical film in Japanese based on the real-life heroic actions of Sugihara.
The Compassion of Consul-General Sempo Sugihara
Read more at: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/chiune-sugihara
Yes, he was Japanese and worked in the embassy of Japan in Lithuania. He was also the subject of a "google doodle" apparently, last week. I believe I had vaguely heard of him before but not much.
