Sugihara Self Sacrificing

The Holocaust was a tragic time for Jews; many of them were persecuted or even executed because of their ethnicity. Thousands more Jews would not have survived if it had not been for a selfless man named Chiune Sugihara. Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who saved over 6,000 Jews during the Holocaust. Sugihara, along with his wife, issued visas to Jews in order for them to escape the cruel government treatment they were receiving. Sugihara went against his government’s orders to ensure safety to Jews during this time, causing him to become a well honored person. Chiune Sugihara is a hero because he is self-sacrificing, determined, and compassionate.
Sugihara is considered self-sacrificing because he gave up his own personal safety to …show more content…
Sugihara labored extremely hard to issue the maximum amount of visas to Jews as he could. Sugihara worked day after day, sometimes non-stop writing visas. The previously mentioned article states, “From July 31 to Aug. 28, 1940, Sugihara and his wife stayed up all night, writing visas.” This expresses Sugihara’s determination to help as many people as he possibly could. The article goes on to say that as Sugihara was being deported from Lithuania, he continued writing visas and throwing them out of his open train window. Once his train began to move, he gave the stamp to a refugee who Sugihara hoped would continue to issue visas. Sugihara worked vigorously for long amounts of time in order for as many possible Jews to be saved. Sugihara was determined to help a group of people who desperately needed saving, becoming their hero along the …show more content…
Sugihara involving his wife in writing visas shows that he was compassionate enough about saving lives to include his family in his works. Sugihara forfeited time with his family to work on writing visas. Due to the compassion he possessed, Sugihara received the title of “Righteous Among the Nations,” which is given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The previously named article by the Huffington Post states that, 2,139 Sugihara visas were documented, and over 100,000 people can trace their ancestry to a Sugihara survivor. The article then states that around 40,000 individuals would not be alive today, had it not been for the gracious acts of the Sugiharas. Sugihara is remembered for his compassionate heart and his willingness to serve