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October 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 6 • Tishrei / Cheshvan 5780
FIRST EVER JEWISH STUDIES WORKSHOP IN TAIWAN HONOURS HEROIC DIPLOMATS
Entitled “Politics of Life, Politics of Light: Humanitarian Diplomacy and Jewish Studies in East Asia,” the workshop was co-chaired by Professor Ber Kotlerman, of the Department of Literature of the Jewish People at Bar-Ilan University, and Ambassador Fabrizio Bozzato of Malta. Conference participants hailed from across the globe, and included Chiune Sugihara’s son Nobuki Sugihara, who currently resides in Antwerp, and
Ilana Plopsky
By Staff Writer and Agencies Brave East Asian diplomats, responsible for providing shelter and protection to thousands of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, were commemorated at a recent international workshop at Tamkang University’s College of International Studies in New Taipei City last month. This was the first time an event to honour these diplomats was organised.
From left to right: Ambassador Fabrizio Bozzato of Malta, Professor Ber Kotlerman and Dr. Mor Sobol (Israel-Taiwan)
Ho Feng-Shan’s daughter Ho Manli, who lives in San Francisco. Both of them spoke about their late fathers, whose actions were so integral to the lives saved. In November 1939, Chiune Sugihara, a career diplomat, was serving as Japan’s Consul in Lithuania. When Lithuania was annexed to the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940, all foreign diplomats were asked to leave Kovno. As Sugihara was packing his belongings, a Jewish del-
egation waited in front of his consulate, asking to see him. “My father didn’t intend to be a hero,” Nobuki Sugihara told workshop participants. Troubled by the refugees’ plight, he began issuing visas of his own volition- despite being ordered by his ministry not to issue them. Thanks to Sugihara, they were able to leave Europe and escape the horrors of the following year when Nazi Germany invaded Lithuania. Dr. Ho Feng-Shan, the Chinese Consul-General in Vienna,
Israel’s baseball team qualifies for 2020 Tokyo Olympics The team, which features a great many semi-professional Jewish-American college players, had the country’s best showing in the last World Baseball Classic in 2017, surprising many by making the main tournament where it fin-
Margo Sugarman
Israel has qualified for the Olympic baseball tournament for the first time. The Israeli team made history by defeating South Africa 11-1 in Italy, after beating the Netherlands and tournament host Italy last month.
Israel national baseball team
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ished in sixth place. While the World Baseball Classic only requires that players be eligible for citizenship of the country they represent, this differs to what is asked of Olympian athletes. For Olympic qualifying tournaments – and in the Olympic Games themselves – players must actually be citizens of the country they represent. To remedy this setback, the national team’s Jewish American quota received Israeli citizenship especially to meet requirements. The Israel Association of Baseball runs five leagues throughout the country for players aged six and upward.
was given the title of “Righteous Amongst the Nations” for his humanitarian courage in issuing Chinese visas to Jews in Vienna despite orders to the contrary from his superior. “My father became one of the first diplomats to help Jews because he was posted to the first place that Nazi Germany took over,” said Dr. Ho’s daughter, Ho Manli. Unlike his fellow diplomats, Ho issued visas to Shanghai to all requesting them, even to those wishing to travel elsewhere but needing a visa to leave Nazi Germany. Ho issued visas on an unprecedentedly large scale, estimated to run into the thousands.
IN THIS ISSUE Regional News Israel and Japan sign a defense equipment agreement
3-8
Business News Passenger traffic from China now at all-time high 9-12
Art • Culture • Music HKJFF hits 20 years
13-17
Festivals Sukkot / Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah
18
Jewish communities in Asia Candle-lighting and the month’s Parshas
19