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Ben Carr explains comments he made about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

On January 29 a conference was held in Jerusalem titled “Settlement Brings Security.” Although the conference was not organized by the Israeli government per se, 12 members of the ruling right-wing coalition government of Israel were in attendance, including two cabinet ministers: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
At the conference strong support was given to rebuilding Jewish settlements in Gaza and the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Ben Gvir has also called for the forced resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to outside of Gaza.
In response to that conference, Winnipeg South Centre Liberal MP Ben Carr suggested publicly that it would be in the best interests of the Middle East and the world if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to leave office.

According to a CBC report, “Carr said that he has major concerns about the Israeli government and he hopes Netanyahu will be, in his words, ‘gone sooner rather than later.’
“Carr, who is Jewish, says he does not support politicians on the far right of the spectrum in Israel who display maps of Gaza with Israeli flags.
” ‘Governments change,’ said Carr, and Israel is still an ally that has an important security role to play in the region.
” ‘It’s very, very important that we remember that governments come and governments go, and our relationships with states are deeper than the relationship that we may have with the current government in power,” he said Wednesday, January 31.
” ‘My hope is that Netanyahu will be gone sooner rather than later, because I think that’s in the best interests of everybody in the region, and I think that’s in the best interests of everybody around the world.”
” Carr also made the point that the Liberal Party is a ‘microcosm of society,’ and there are various views about the Israel-Hamas conflict within his caucus.”
“Throughout the conflict, a handful of Liberal MPs, including Carr, have been vocal about their opinions on Canadian government policy — and not always aligned with it.
” ‘It makes sense that these conversations are happening and I don’t think that it’s a source of negativity or division,’ Carr said.”

On Monday, February 5, we contacted Ben Carr, asking him whether he would consent to an interview in which he could elaborate upon the criticism that he had leveled at Prime Minister Netanyahu the previous week.

Following is that interview:
Carr began by saying, “I want to start by responding, Bernie, to a point that I know some have raised – and there are often questions about whether it’s appropriate or the place of a Member of Parliament in Canada to comment on the affairs of another nation, in this case, Israel.
“What I want to say to that is that when the domestic affairs of that nation spill over into the domestic affairs of my nation, our nation, and impact those that I represent to the degree that this conflict has, I feel it is reasonable and responsible for me to lend my voice to the conversation. As I have said previously in written statements, throughout the course of this conflict, I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been an obstacle to peace in the region.
“The most direct and specific examples for me, in which this has been highlighted in recent weeks, include two things: One, his refusal to accept that a two state solution is a viable path forward, even if Hamas is not the representative body at the table. And secondly, his refusal or reluctance to criticize publicly or condemn the behaviour or views being presented by those on the extreme right of the political spectrum in Israel.
“I believe that continues to pose an obstacle to a peace that is so desperately desired.”

I asked Carr whether he thought national Jewish organizations, such as CIJA or B’nai Brith “should also be leveling the same kind of criticism at the Netanyahu government?”

Carr responded: “I’m not going to give any direction to what the leadership of national organizations may want to do or choose to say about this particular issue. That’s their business, not mine. I am happy, as always, to engage in conversations as I have from the beginning of this conflict with the leadership of both national Jewish organizations and local Jewish organizations.
“But the opinions that I’m sharing are the opinions of a Member of Parliament who is faced with the challenges brought to me by constituents daily in regards to this conflict. So my comments are in relation to the responsibility I feel I have as a leader at the federal level for people in Winnipeg South Center.
“So my commentary is rooted in that. What national Jewish organizations want to say, or feel they should say, are decisions that rest with them, and it is certainly not my intention, or desire, or business to provide them with any guidance on that front.”

JP&N: “Have you received any feedback following the reports in the media about what you had said?”
Carr: “Anytime a Member of Parliament comments on policy publicly, and particularly when a Jewish Member of Parliament, which I am, comments publicly on an issue as divisive, challenging, and sensitive as the Middle East, there will undoubtedly be reaction from folks with varying perspectives on the issue. In this instance, I would say that I have been met with more positive and favourable reactions from folks who also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu currently poses an obstacle to peace in the Middle East than from those who believe that he is moving the region in a direction that they would like to see.”

JP&N: “What about from among your own colleagues in the Liberal Jewish caucus? Have you had reaction from them?”
Carr: “I’m not going to share the granular details of my discussions with colleagues as much of that happens behind closed doors. However, I would say, without speaking for them, because it is not my job to speak on behalf of my colleagues, that much like the reaction I have had from constituents, the reaction from those I work with, both within the Liberal Party and beyond, has been less on the critical side of things, vis-a-vis the comments I made about Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

JP&N: “One final question: Do you plan on pursuing this course of, of trying to raise the issue how Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace, or was that your one kick at the cat, so to speak?”
Carr: ” I want to be very clear about something. The decision as to who leads the Israeli government belongs in the hands of the Israeli people. I have not suggested, and I am not now suggesting, that in any way, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government or leadership is illegitimate. Nor do I believe that any foreign state, whether allies or not, should have a say in dictating the outcome of those elections.

“However, to the point I made earlier, I don’t believe it is unreasonable or irresponsible to lend a voice as an elected official on an issue with domestic consequences for those that I represent to comment. Bernie, I am not in Ottawa and the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre to focus only on one issue.
“There are dozens of preoccupations and issues on the minds of the people I represent, inclusive of climate change, affordability, health care, reconciliation, housing, that they expect me to be advocating for and representing their interests on in Ottawa. The Middle East is an issue that I am confronted with.
“It’s a serious issue. It’s a challenging issue. It’s a divisive and sensitive issue. My work will continue to be focused on representing a wide array. of the issues that matter to people in Winnipeg South Center. So, so far as my commentary regarding the conflict in the Middle East is concerned on principle, when I feel or where I feel people expect or deserve to hear from me, I will speak up and lend my voice.
“However, the issues facing the Middle East at the moment do not occupy the only piece of real estate in my mind or in my energy as it is concerned to the work I undertake as a Member of Parliament.”

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A detailed look at how Jacob Brodovsky was targeted by one particular website – and how that led to him losing his job as co-executive director of BB Camp

By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted April 25) The following is taken from Bnai Brith Camp’s website as the camp’s mission statement:
“BB Camp’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive, and inclusive Jewish environment in which youth can explore, grow, and mature. Campers are provided opportunities to develop independence, foster lasting friendships, and strengthen their identities within a natural wilderness setting. BB Camp is committed to making sure that every camper leaves with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
“Since its founding in 1954, BB Camp has remained committed to ensuring that all children, no matter what their financial situation might be, have the opportunity to experience the joy and wonder of attending Camp. At BB Camp, our goal is to offer a summer ‘home away from home’ where children can learn about and take pride in their Jewish culture, community, and heritage. It is a place where children can grow both individually and as a group. It is a place where important socializing skills are developed and where lifelong friendships are formed. It is a place where connection to the Jewish community can become part of a child’s life forever.”

Elsewhere on the website, under the category “Jewish Life at Camp,” this is what the site has to say about the role that Israel plays at the camp: Our main focus in Israel-based programming is to provide interactive opportunities for our campers and staff to develop a connection to Israel. We create connections to Israel by hiring Israeli staff to teach our
campers about daily life in Israel. Each summer we run an Israel Day program for both of our summer sessions where campers can learn about Israeli culture, food, and geography. In addition to this day-long program, we entwine Israel-based education with day-to-day camp life, including a ‘Hebrew word of the day’ at morning services and by using basic Israel education pieces including using Hebrew names for our camp buildings, flying the Israeli flag, and singing Hatikvah (Israel’s national anthem) as a camp each day when we lower the flags for the evening.”

Jacob Brodovsky had been a staffer at BB Camp for 15 years. Since 2021 he and his wife, Lexi Yurman, had served as camp co-executive directors. In an article posted to The Times of Israel website in August 2024, writer Jon van der Veen wrote: “He (Brodovsky) mentioned that BB has had a positive growth in campers over the years, “about 10 percent year over year” (emphasis mine). Lexie gave me the rough numbers, saying, (BB Camp) ‘consistently in a summer through both sessions, and including our LTP and AC programs, we have 300 to 350 campers.
“Jacob describes BB as a ‘Jewish camp for everyone,’ which is important because he also informed me that ‘about 15 percent of campers are non-Jewish‘ (emphasis mine). Jacob and Lexie believe this number is a testament to the appeal of BB camp and its good reputation. Lexie added, ‘Most of our non-Jewish campers, they just come with their friends, because their friends talk about camp, and they want to be a part of it.’
In the camp’s mission statement nowhere does the word “Zionism” appear.


But, following a series of three incendiary articles that appeared on a website known as thej.ca, beginning with an article that was first posted on April 6, and which was titled “Winnipeg Parents Outraged Over Camp BB Kenora Director’s Apparent Anti‑Israel Social Media Activity,” a campaign to oust Jacob Brodovsky as camp co-executive director quickly gathered steam. Ordinarily I would not lend credence to the vituperative attacks on Brodovsky that were posted to that website, but I think it important that readers see first hand the evidence that was used to martial what became an online campaign to have Brodovsky removed as camp co-executive director.
That article went on to make several statements that might well be considered defamatory, including describing Brodovsky’s behaviour as “incendiary.” The article also quoted (from an unnamed parent): “Parents send their children to BB Kenora for a safe, enriching Jewish experience—not political indoctrination against Israel.” (There is no evidence offered as to what “political indoctrination against Israel” in which Brodovsky might have engaged.)
The entire basis of the case against Brodovsky seemed to revolve as his having “liked” certain social media posts that had been posted by someone or some group that went by the name “Rusty_Robot,” and which were posted to Instagram in April and May 2024. Those social media posts were sympathetic to Palestinians.
Further, there were comments that levelled very serious allegations, not only against Brodovsky, but also his wife, Lexie, including: “Anyone who supports the dangerous and vicious views regarding the Jewish right to exist should be held accountable and fired. Our children deserve better !”
Another commenter write: “I’m confused why there is no commentary on his wife, who runs the camp along side him and has allowed for this behaviour from him for years. She is complicit to his actions.”
A third commenter writes: “if you are the director of a Jewish camp who shuts down support for hostages and protests the raising of the Israeli flag and singing Hatikvah, then your politics are affecting your role and the climate at camp.”

There were other very serious allegations made against Brodovsky, yet there were also comments that came to his defence, including: “My children came home from BB camp last summer more secure and attached to their Jewish identity than when they left.
“They sang Hatikva. They prayed at meals. They participated in a Havdalah service. Most importantly, they got to experience the sense of community that comes from being in a secure Jewish environment.”
At first, the BB Camp Board reacted by giving Brodovsky a vote of support following an emergency meeting of the board held on April 8, at which time the Board issued a statement that read, in part: “After conducting painstaking due diligence, the BB Camp Board of Directors unanimously (emphasis mine) voted to retain Co-Executive Director, Jacob Brodovsky, following his full apology for his serious error in judgement on social media. 
“After listening to all comments and concerns, the Board made a decision that it believes is best for the organization moving forward. 
“ ‘While we know not everyone will agree with our decision, we have full confidence that Jacob will continue to provide our campers, families, and clients with the same safe and nurturing environment that they have come to expect and enjoy over the last four years,’ said Board chair, Leah Leibl. 

Leibl pointed to Jacob’s sincerity in issuing an apology. 
“’ ‘I accept full responsibility and sincerely apologize for the gravity of my mistake and lack of judgement in liking posts that did not align with the values of BB Camp,’ said Co-Executive Director, Jacob Brodovsky.  ‘ am extremely remorseful for my actions and most grateful to be able to continue in my role serving our Jewish community.’
“Jacob also reaffirmed his belief in the State of Israel and is working closely with others to examine steps that can be taken to strengthen Jewish life and deepen support for Israel at Camp. 
“Jacob added, ‘I ‘ believe in Israel’s right to exist and care deeply about the safety of all Jews and Israelis.’ 
“In addition to the apology, the Board requires their Co-Executive Director, who agreed, to exercise due caution in his use of social media and avoid any activity that may run counter to the mission of the organization. The Board of Directors has also expressed to Jacob the extreme seriousness of this matter, and has reinforced to him his obligation to uphold all Camp policies.” 
 
On April 9, however, thej.ca once again criticized the BB Camp Board of Directors in an article titled “Weak Leadership Exposed: Camp BB Kenora Board Keeps Controversial Director Despite Overwhelming Outcry”.
The lead line of that article said: “Despite irrefutable evidence of his anti‑Israel bias and incendiary pro‑Palestine online activities, the board’s decision to retain Jacob Brodovsky reveals a dangerous capitulation to woke (emphasis mine) pressures—at the expense of true Zionist values.”
On April 16, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg held an emergency meeting for the purpose of discussing the BB Camp situation. On April 17 the BB Camp Board released a statement in which it reversed its decision to retain Brodovsky as co-executive director, noting “the camp’s Board of Directors has announced that “the Board of Directors and co-Executive Director Jacob Brodovsky have amicably agreed to part ways, having regard to the best interests of the Camp and the community at large.”
We have been in contact with various camp staffers, some of whom who wished to remain anonymous, but all of whom have denied that there were any instances where Hatikvah was not allowed to be sung or where the Israeli flag was not raised.
Another issue which was raised by other commenters had to do with campers not being allowed either to make or wear “yellow ribbons,” which have become symbolic of sympathy for the hostages still being held in Gaza.
Following the BB Camp Board’s complete reversal of its position, the j.ca ran a third article, on April 17, titled “Stunning Turn Of Events At BB Camp Kenora As Board Reexamines Leadership Choice.”
Following the article, however, a commenter who identified as a camp staffer posted this comment: “As a current staff member at Camp BB, I have to say it’s outrageous that Jacob is being slandered over baseless rumours and social media activity taken wildly out of context. What’s even more ridiculous is that most of the people fuelling this outrage haven’t stepped foot on camp during the summer and have no idea how things are actually run. Jacob’s personal political views never once interfered with camp life. Camp BB remained very much a Jewish camp, rich in tradition and community, under his leadership.
The camp staffer goes on to refer to the “yellow ribbon” situation – in apparent reference to a paragraph which appeared in the April 6 j.ca article, which wrote: “Several parents told TheJ.Ca that Brodovsky also refused campers’ requests to create yellow ribbons in solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. ‘My daughter was heartbroken,’ said one mother. ‘She wanted to show support for the hostages in Gaza, but Jacob wouldn’t allow it.’ “
The camp staffer who posted a comment in defence of Brodovsky on the j.ca site wrote – with specific reference to the “yellow ribbon” situation: “It’s also interesting that none of the staff can recall this supposed ‘yellow ribbon’ situation—so where did that even come from? Are we really at the point where rumours and assumptions are enough to justify firing someone?”
Questions now remain as to why the BB Camp Board reversed its original decision to retain Brodovsky as camp co-executive director? Was it a result of some well-heeled donors exerting financial pressure on either the BB Camp Board or the Jewish Federation?
We have also received a copy of a letter that was sent to the BB Camp Board which also levels some very serious allegations against Brodovsky, especially with respect to his interactions with camp staffers. That letter offers specifics which the articles in thej.ca do not. Whether that letter – and perhaps other letters that were sent to the BB Camp Board played an influential role in the dramatic reversal of the Board’s original unanimous decision made on April 9 to retain Brodovsky as co-executive director, only to be followed by a decision eight days later to part ways with Brodovsky, we do not know.
Unlike the j.ca, however, we do not engage in idle speculation. We ask questions and await answers.

There is one final – and somewhat intriguing aspect to this controversy, and that has to do with BB Camp’s charitable status. As some readers might be aware, Jewish National Fund Canada had its charitable status revoked by the CRA in August 2024. To read more about how that came about, go to https://jewishpostandnews.ca/faqs/rokmicronews-fp-1/jnf-canada-responds-to-cra-decision-to-revoke-its-charity-status/
In order for any charity to retain its charitable status it has to clearly state its charitable object. If BB Camp were now to include, as part of its charitable object, “to better reflect the Camp’s fundamental support of Israel” (emphasis mine), which it says is now part of its mission in the statement issued on April 17, one might well ask whether that constitutes quite a departure from its previous mission statement, which makes no reference at all to Israel, and in particular, “fundamental support of Israel?” Based on what happened with the JNF, which lost its charitable status, allegedly for having deviated from its “charitable object,” one might wonder how the CRA would react to BB Camp becoming politicized to that extent?

We had sent a copy of this article to both the Federation and BB Camp Board asking both of them whether they had any response to issue before this article was published. Neither organization responded.

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Ilana Shapera one of the leads in dancing dentists upcoming production of “Chicago”

Dr. Ilana Shapera

By MYRON LOVE Dr. Ilana Shapera is looking forward to once again treading the boards – this time with a role that she can really sink her teeth into. One of three principals in Affinity Dental – the others being her husband, Igal Margolin, and her brother-in-law, Artiom Margolin – has been cast in the role of Velma Kelly in the upcoming Manitoba Dental Foundation’s production of “Chicago,” which is scheduled to run May 7-11 at the Theatre Cercle Moliere.
“Velma is a real fun character,” Shapera says.  “I love her snarkiness.”
“Chicago” the nusical, notes Phil Corrin, the production’s musical director, is based on a 1926 play by the same name that was intended to expose political corruption and its interface with celebrity.  Fifty years later, it was restaged as a musical.
 “Chicago” is the MDF’s seventh all-dentist musical production. A new show is staged every second year.
Shapera, who previously appeared in the Foundation’s production of “Lucky Stiff” in 2017, says that she is looking forward to getting back to dancing  – a passion she has had for most of her life – in her role as Veloma.  She reports that she began taking dancing lessons when she was four years old.  In her teen years, she studied with Shelley Shearer and participated in Gray Academy musical productions. For several years, she was a member of the Chai Folk Ensemble choir and, for the past six or seven years, she has been singing with the Prairie Voices’ Horizon Choir.
The mother of two young sons, Lev and Shai, expresses her appreciation to her husband, Igal, “for holding down the fort at home, allowing her to live out her Broadway dreams”.

Phil Corrin


Some readers may remember Phil Corrin for his 25 year career as a band teacher at Garden City Collegiate. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Major in Music Education) from Brandon University and a Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts (Conducting) from the University of Calgary. His first foray into the world of theatre was in the sixth grade when he played Huckleberry Finn in his school’s production of “Tom Sawyer.” Since then, he has been involved in nearly 80 productions as an actor, musician, director, producer, stagehand, audio technician, and music director. He has worked with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Rainbow Stage, Winnipeg Studio Theatre, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Little Opera Company, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous high schools (including Gray Academy) throughout Winnipeg.
“Phil is happy to once again sink his teeth into the world of All-Dentist Musicals – having previously served as Associate Music Director for “Young Frankenstein” in 2015,” says Frank Hechter, currently the Manitoba Dental Foundation’s executive director (since 2018), who is also a member of the production’s organizing committee.

Dr. Frank Hechter

Hechter will be the conductor for the show and will also be a member of the ensemble. For Hechter – who began practising dentistry almost 55 years ago, appearing in “Chicago” will allow him to recreate his St. John’s high school operetta days, renew and create new friendships, challenge himself, and “move beyond his comfort zone,” he says.
A second Jewish member of the  organizing committee is Bonnie Antel,  the wife of Dr. Joel Antel, a former president of both the Manitoba Dental Foundation and Manitoba Dental Association and who is currently the Canadian Dental Association president. Bonnie says that while she would have loved to be in the “Chicago” cast, she isn’t a dentist.  She has, however, been involved in music – both as a singer and choir leader, most of her life.
“I developed a love for music and singing in high school (Grant Park),” she recalls. 
Bonnie has a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education from University of Manitoba and recently retired from teaching music in the Pembina Trails School Division.
As with Ilana Shapera, Bonnie Antel is a Chai alumna. For many years, from the time she was 13, she was  a member of the Shaarey Zedek Choir. She adds that in the 1990s, she was the choir director and conductor.  Currently, she is the Yom Tov choir leader at the Simkin Centre.  “Chicago” is the second Dental Foundation all-dentist musical production that she has been involved with.
“We are all really thrilled that we were able to get the rights to “Chicago” this year,” remarks Antel, who has been involved in the all-dentist musical productions since their inception.. “We do these shows every second year but there has always been another production of “Chicago” somewhere else in the province taking place.”   
“Our purposes in producing musical theatre with all dentist performers has always been to create opportunities for dentists with an interest in musical theatre to come together; create opportunities for students and graduates of performing arts programs to gain experience, refine their expertise to enhance their career paths; and to raise funds to support educational and mentorship programs in the performing arts and other charitable organizations,” Hechter points out. “We appreciate the contributions of everyone who has participated in our productions.”
 
He reports that the net proceeds from the productions have provided funding over the years for the Manitoba Dental Foundation – as well as the Harvey Speigel Bursary in the College of Dentistry (U of M), the Theatre and Film program at the U of W, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg Studio Theatre Scholarship, the Rainbow Stage Professional Mentorship Program, the Never Alone Cancer Foundation, and Cancer Care Manitoba. The net proceeds from the production of “Chicago” will be divided evenly between Theatre Cercle Moliere and the Manitoba Dental Foundation.
 
Readers who may be interested in supporting the MDF and seeing the show can contact Dr. Frank J. Hechter (mdf.ed@manitobadentist.ca) or phone 204-782-8146. 

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Japanese author Akira Kitade recounts for Winnipeg audience role of foreign diplomats in saving Jewish lives in WWII

Sheva Zucker with Japanese author Akira Kitade

By MYRON LOVE One of the lesser known histories of the Holocaust was the role of various diplomats who saved thousands of Jewish lives through issuing visas to endangered Jews desperate to escape Nazi-occupied Europe.  The best known of those diplomats was Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish special envoy in Budapest in 1944 who issued Swedish passports to thousands of Hungarian Jews and – with the financial support of American Jewish organizations – hid them in numerous safe houses throughout Budapest. 
Sadly, he himself met a tragic fate.  When the Soviets liberated Budapest in late 1944, the courageous Swede was arrested, shipped back to Russia – and never seen again.
Lesser known diplomats also pitched in to save Jewish lives. One of these Holocaust heroes was Chiune Sempo Sugihara. Japanese consul in Kovno, Lithuania, who provided thousands of Japanese transit visas to Jewish refugees who had fled from Poland and elsewhere in Europe to the Baltic capital city in a desperate effort to escape the clutches of the Nazis.     
 
On Sunday, March 23, about 100 individuals, largely from the Jewish and Japanese communities, were in attendance at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for a special presentation by Japanese author Akira Kitade describing Sugihara’s exploits.
 
The story is a central element in Kitade’s most recent book, “Emerging Heroes: World War II Era Diplomats, Jewish Refugees and escape to Japan”, which was a sequel to his previous book, “Visas of Life and the Epic Journey:How the Sugihara Survivors Reached Japan.”
 
The program, a joint venture between the CHHR and the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, began with remarks by Takehiko Wajima, the Japanese Consul General in Calgary.  (Local immigration lawyer Ken Zaifman, Japan’s honorary consul in Winnipeg, was also in attendance.) 
 
Belle Jarniewski, the Jewish Heritage Centre’s executive director, then set the table, so to speak, for the guest speaker. She pointed out that “the medal awarded to those recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority features the inscription – from the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5), “Whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe.” Yad Vashem explains further that the quote is particularly appropriate when we think of the survivors and their many descendants and their many contributions to society. Chiune Sugihara did not save a single life – he saved thousands”.
 
She recounted that when the Nazis attacked Poland, some 15,000 Jews fled eastward, including to the then still independent Lithuania, which had been a centre for Jewish life since the 14th century. Caught between the Nazis and the Soviets, the Jews desperately sought ways to emigrate. After the annexation of Lithuania by the Soviets in the summer of 1940, all foreign diplomats were ordered to leave by August 9.
By then, the Jews were in very dire straits and could find no safe haven. Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch consul in Kaunas at the time, agreed to stamp thousands of Jewish passports to visa-free Dutch Curacao, a Dutch colony in the Caribbean. The visas were, of course, bogus. With Europe engulfed in war, the only plausible means of escape was across the Soviet Union. For this, the refugees required transit visas showing Japan as their final destination.
As Sugihara and his family were packing their belongings, a delegation of Jews came to him with a desperate request for transit visas. They were led by Zerach Warhaftig – a Jewish refugee who, years later, was to become a minister in the government of the State of Israel. Seeing the desperation of the refugees, Sugihara began issuing the transit visas despite objections from  Tokyo. Overall, he issued approximately 2140 transit visas—some of them for entire families.
 
The refugees rode the TransSiberian railroad across Russia to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. From there, they were transferred by boat, the Hikawa Maru, to Kobe in Japan. Many of the refugees were able to move on from Kobe to the United States and other places. The remainder – about 1,000 – were eventually relocated to the foreign quarter in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, where there was an existing community of German-Jewish refugees and a small number of prosperous Jewish merchant families from India.
 
Akira Kitade’s interest in Sugihara and the Jewish refugees, he noted, was sparked almost 30 years ago when he heard the firsthand account from Tatsuo Osaka, his boss at the Japanese Tourist Bureau, – who captained the Hikawa Maru carrying Jewish refugees from Vladivostok to Kobe. The retired diplomat recalled that, during a visit in the late 1990s, Osaka showed him an album with photos of eight of the refugees – one man and seven women – along with words of gratitude in various languages representing the many different European countries from which they were fleeing.  After Osaka’s passing on 1993, his daughter gave Kitade the album.
 
His initial goal, the author recalled, was to find out what became of the individuals in the album.  Over the next 10 years or so, he accomplished this mission.  He shared with his audience at the CMHR what he learned about each of the survivors.  All of them eventually reached America ,where they enjoyed successful careers and lives. Most married and had children.
 
Kitade’s research into the lives of the eight survivors in the album brought into contact with many more Sugihara transit visa holders and their descendants.  He noted that while there are estimates that as many as 6,000 refugees – individual and family members, were saved by the Japanese consul’s actions, his view is that the real number is about 3,000.  Their descendants, he suggested, are around 50,000.
 
The author also spoke about three European diplomats who aided Sugihara in facilitating the further movement of the transit visa holders. The problem for the refugees once they landed in Kobe was that the visas were only good for 14 days.  Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch businessman and diplomat, who was director of the Phillips factories in Lithuania and part-time acting consul of the Dutch Government in exile, provided 2,345 visas for Jewish refugees for the Dutch colony of Curacao, an island in the Caribbean.
 
Nicolaas Arie Johannes (Niek) de Voogd was the Dutch consul in Kobe at that time, and he also provided visas for Jewish refugees for Curacao. De Voogd returned to Japan as the Dutch ambassador in the early 1960s.
Tadeusz Romer was the Polish ambassador in Japan until the Polish embassy in Japan closed in July 1941. From August 1940 to November 1941, he otained transit visas in Japan, arranged asylum visas to Canada and other countries, immigration certificates to Palestine, and immigrant visas to the United States and some Latin American countries for 2,000 Polish-Lithuanian Jewish refugees who had arrived in Kobe. He created a ‘Polish Committee to Aid the Victims of War’ and appointed his wife, Zofia, to be president of the committee. They worked to financially support Jewish communities in  Yokohama and Kobe by campaigning in Far Eastern countries for funding.
 
Belle Jarniewski completed the Sugihara narrative. The diplomat himself was posted to a number of different places, but in 1944 he was arrested by the Soviets along with a number of other diplomats. He was ultimately released, went to work for the Japanese Foreign Service in 1947, and held a variety of other jobs after that. Shortly before his death, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Israel, declared Sugihara “Righteous Among the Nations” for his aid to the refugees in Lithuania during World War II. Yad Vashem conferred the title in 1984, honoring the former Japanese consul with a ceremony in Jerusalem in January 1985.
 
“The number of people recognized as Righteous Among the Nations – is staggeringly small when you consider the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were murdered,” Jarniewski pointed out.. “However, the impact of the Righteous – those who mustered extraordinary courage and who acted with conscience and caring is immeasurable. Today, the global Jewish community finds itself facing a sustained resurgence of antisemitism unprecedented since the end of the Holocaust. The silence of far too many we had considered as friends and allies has been shocking. We need to see the kind of courage of conscience that Chiune Sugihara so inspiringly displayed.”
 
One final note. Towards the end of the program, it was noted that in the audience was Winnipegger Rochelle Zucker, whose father, Meyer, was one of the Sugihara survivors. In answer to a question as to how the Jewish refugees in Shanghai survived, she spoke of her own father’s story. As with most of the refugees, they found work.  Meyer Zucker was a printer by trade and was hired by a British-owned printing company.  After the war, he, like most of the others, applied to go wherever he could.  He had a cousin in Calgary who was able to bring him to Calgary to work in the printing industry.  In Calgary, he met his wife, Miriam Pearlman, and, in 1948, they moved to Winnipeg where Meyer and Miriam both had family. In Winnipeg, Zucker worked as a printer for the Israelite Press/Yiddishe Vort until just a couple of years before his passing n 1977.

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