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Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 15:36
Chinese consulate general honors 'China's Schindler'
By Xinhua
Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 15:36 By Xinhua

Feng Shan Ho. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

SAN FRANCISCO — The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco on Sunday hosted a special event to honor a former Chinese diplomat who helped tens of thousands of Jewish families flee Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II.

For nearly two years, Feng Shan Ho helped tens of thousands of European Jews escape the Holocaust by issuing them visas to the Chinese port city of Shanghai

A group of Chinese and American people, including descendants of survivors of the Jews who received visas issued by Feng Shan Ho, the Chinese consul general in Vienna from 1938 to 1940, reviewed stories about the former Chinese diplomat, hailed as "China's Schindler."

For nearly two years, Ho helped tens of thousands of European Jews escape the Holocaust by issuing them visas to the Chinese port city of Shanghai.

Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Wang Donghua said that Ho was a great man who should be remembered for the "great humanitarian process" and his heroic move.

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"According to statistics available, the total number of Jewish people who got protection in Shanghai on the visas issued by Ho was over 25,000," Wang said.

"By reviewing that part of history ... we did not intend to dig the hatred, but to prevent the tragic history from repeating itself and move forward better into the future," he said.

Shlomi Kofman, Israeli consul general in San Francisco, hailed Ho's courageous move as "selfless" and "unparalleled."

"The story is one that will live on forever, especially among the Jewish people here in this room and everywhere else," Kofman said.

Ho saved not only just those individuals but "generations of Jews that came after that," for which he will be remembered with gratitude for ever, Kofman added.

Manli Ho, daughter of Feng Shan Ho, said her father's deeds fully demonstrated his spirit of humanity, which can empower anyone to do anything they want.

"My father was a strong-willed person because he overcame all kinds of barriers under an extremely hard situation to save so many Jewish people," she said.

Heather Klein, a granddaughter of a Jewish survivor, said her grandmother was part of Ho's rescue. "Because of his efforts, you know, I'm here today and my parents are here today."

She said it's amazing to see the survivors and everybody hearing each other what they've been through.

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"Everyone is incredibly supportive of each other and these two countries (China and Israel) are coming together to do so much for these survivors ... I'm just so thrilled I was here to experience it," she added.

In 2000, Israel bestowed the title of Righteous Among the Nations, one of its highest honors, on Ho "for his humanitarian courage" in the rescue of the Jews.  

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