Boys Town Jerusalem, a religious technical high school in Jerusalem, is holding a special reception this morning for the daughter of a Righteous Gentile whose efforts saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.
Dr. Feng Shan Ho, who served as the Chinese Consul-General in Vienna in 1938-9, used his position to provide visas for Austrian Jews fleeing the Nazis - one of the first diplomats to do so. The title of Righteous Among the Nations was bestowed upon him in October 2000 for his humanitarian courage in issuing Chinese visas to Jews. Nazi policy at the time was not to deport Jews who could show they had visas to foreign countries, and Dr. Ho, disregarding instructions from his superior, the Chinese Ambassador in Berlin, issued visas to Shanghai to all requesting them. At the time, the Vienese consulates of England, France, Switzerland and others refused to do so. Ho died in San Francisco in 1997 at the age of 96.
Boys Town Jerusalem, emphasizing the concept of Hakarat Hatov - acknowledgement and gratefulness - is honoring Dr. Ho's daughter, Manli, in the presence of the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, other Chinese diplomats, and representatives from Yad Vashem. In 1996, the school created a special garden to honor Dutch diplomat Jan Zwartendijk, who provided 2,300 visas to Jews during the Holocaust, and a memorial for Dr. Shan Ho has now been added to the garden.
Dr. Feng Shan Ho, who served as the Chinese Consul-General in Vienna in 1938-9, used his position to provide visas for Austrian Jews fleeing the Nazis - one of the first diplomats to do so. The title of Righteous Among the Nations was bestowed upon him in October 2000 for his humanitarian courage in issuing Chinese visas to Jews. Nazi policy at the time was not to deport Jews who could show they had visas to foreign countries, and Dr. Ho, disregarding instructions from his superior, the Chinese Ambassador in Berlin, issued visas to Shanghai to all requesting them. At the time, the Vienese consulates of England, France, Switzerland and others refused to do so. Ho died in San Francisco in 1997 at the age of 96.
Boys Town Jerusalem, emphasizing the concept of Hakarat Hatov - acknowledgement and gratefulness - is honoring Dr. Ho's daughter, Manli, in the presence of the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, other Chinese diplomats, and representatives from Yad Vashem. In 1996, the school created a special garden to honor Dutch diplomat Jan Zwartendijk, who provided 2,300 visas to Jews during the Holocaust, and a memorial for Dr. Shan Ho has now been added to the garden.