On March 12, 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria in what was known as the Anschluss. The union marked the beginning of a reign of terror for Austria’s 200,000 Jews.
Austrian Jews desperately tried to leave the country, but faced nearly insurmountable obstacles. The Nazi regime insisted that Jews could leave only if they possessed an entry visa to another country. Despite the terrible danger Austrian and German Jews were in, nation after nation closed their doors to desperate Jewish refugees.
The world’s cold indifference to Jewish desperation found its greatest expression at a major international gathering held in Evian, France in July 1938. The Evian Conference sealed the fate of millions of European Jews: leaders of 32 of the world’s largest countries declared their support for persecuted Jews but turned their backs on them when it came to offering material help. Every major nation refused to issue large numbers of entrance visas.
The Nazi Government claimed the Evian Conference as a victory. Despite protesting Nazis’ demonization of Jews and the systematic stripping away the rights of Jews, the nations of the world were conspicuously unwilling to open their doors to Jews when the opportunity was offered. Entrance visa numbers were kept deliberately small and many diplomats were reluctant to even fill the numbers of visas for Jews their countries did allow.
But one foreign diplomat refused to stand by and stepped up to help Austria’s Jews and issue precious entrance visas that allowed them to escape: Dr. Feng Shan Ho, China’s Consul General in Vienna.
Ho Feng Shan: The 'Chinese Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews – Jewish Business News
In 1938, Dr. Ho was a worldly 38-year-old diplomat. Though he grew up as a poor orphan in the Chinese countryside, Dr. Ho’s dynamism and brilliance drove him to seek an education and excel in school. He completed his doctorate in Germany, spoke many languages, and had a wide circle of friends in Vienna – including many Jews.
In 1938, Dr. Ho began issuing visas to Jews, allowing them entry to the Chinese city of Shanghai. Some of the Jews he helped did travel to Shanghai, but Dr. Ho gave visas to Jews no matter where they intended to go. Many planned on travelling to Canada, the Philippines, or the Land of Israel. Dr. Ho knew that each visa he issued ensured that a Jew could flee Austria.
Eric Goldstaub was a 17-year-old Jew who visited 50 consulates in Vienna in 1938, begging for entrance visas to allow his family to escape. Each one turned him down. Finally, he went to the Chinese consulate where Dr. Ho issued 20 visas, allowing Eric’s entire family to escape. Another Viennese Jew, Lilith-Sylvia Doron, recalled how Dr. Ho used to visit her Jewish family’s home frequently. “He claimed that, thanks to his diplomatic status, the (Nazis) would not dare harm us… Ho continued to visit our home on a permanent basis to protect us from the Nazis.”
Dr. Ho’s actions to help Austrian Jews aroused suspicion. His direct superior was Ambassador Chen Jie, who represented China in Berlin. Ambassador Jie was outspoken in his desire to strengthen bonds between Germany and China and ordered Dr. Ho to stop issuing visas. Yet Dr. Ho refused this direct order, doubling down on his life-saving visas instead.
Soon, Dr. Ho faced another obstacle to his life-saving work. The building that housed China’s consulate in Vienna was owned by Jew, and the Nazis confiscated the building and evicted the consulate. Dr. Ho quickly rented new office space with his own money so he could continue issuing life-saving visas.
By November 1938, Dr. Ho and the Chinese consulate in Vienna were known to be the last resort for Jews. On November 9 and 10, Germany and Austria were convulsed by violent anti-Jewish pogroms. Mobs burnt most of Vienna’s synagogues, ransacked Jewish owned businesses, and attacked Jews in the streets. Thousands of Jews were sent to the Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps. Their families were told they could be released if their relatives procured visas or travel documents to other countries.
Each day, long lines formed outside the Chinese consulate. Gerda Gottfried Kraus recalled standing in one of those lines, and seeing Dr. Ho’s car approach the consulate. She and her husband sprinted towards Dr. Ho’s car, and her husband thrust his visa application at Dr. Ho through the car window. “Apparently, the consul general received it,” she recalled years later, “because he then got a call and received the visas.” Gerda and her husband were able to leave Austria and eventually settle in Canada, thanks to Dr. Ho.
Monto and Manli, the son and daughter of Ho Feng Shan, display their "Righteous Among The Nations" awards at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem
In 1940 Dr. Ho was issued a “demerit” for defying his superiors and ordered to leave Vienna. He had a long and varied diplomatic career, and never spoke of his wartime activities saving Jews. His children only found out about his actions after his death in 1997.
Since Dr. Ho never told anyone how many Jews he saved, it’s impossible to know the true extent of his wartime heroism. Historians have noted that one surviving visa issued by Dr. Ho bears a serial number of nearly 4,000. Current estimates are that Dr. Ho’s actions saved the lives of up to several thousand Austrian Jews.
“It was totally in character,” explained Dr. Ho’s daughter Manli Ho. “That is the kind of person he was – very principled, straightforward, and had integrity.”
In 2000, Yad Vashem awarded Dr. Feng Shan Ho the title of Righteous Among the Nations “for his humanitarian courage in issuing Chinese visas to Jews in Vienna in spite of orders from his superior to the contrary.”
(15) Jack S. Adler, January 11, 2021 6:06 PM
I'm a child survivor of the holocaust, my family, five members, perished in the holocaust
The world needed more people like him during the holocaust. May he R.I.P.
The world also could use great people like him today.
(14) Robert Ranger, January 7, 2021 5:16 PM
Shalom dr.Yvette, good share! Everyone on earth could be helping people right now instead of doing nothing and be like our forefather Avraham right now like dr feng shan ho did in the past and many others did too! hashem's torah says to help people every day with whatever people need and Hashem will reward those people with even more abundance! a mitzvah all of the world misses every time when all they have to do is help their family or a stranger or convert with shelter food, water, clothing and a job! bless Hashem??
(13) Marvin Rofsky, Ph.D., January 6, 2021 11:04 PM
Amazing
Ancient Chinese saying! "how do you explain the taste of tea to somebody who has never tasted tea!" The human animal to the best of my knowledge is the only creature that kills it's one kind on the scale and for the reason we do! However we do this all in the name of some deity or deities!
(12) Joseph Dalezman, January 6, 2021 5:18 PM
Regardless of religion caring for others is primary
Too bad the world is not made of trillions of caring people. The world would be peaceful and righteous.
Robert Ranger, January 6, 2021 10:05 PM
start now then
every one on Hashem's earth could do this now what are you waiting for bless Hashem??
(11) Reuven Frank, January 6, 2021 2:19 PM
Great Neshamot
Truly the Great Sages were right when they wrote that not all the great souls (Neshamot) at Sinai were destined to be born as Jews.
Stories like these show that greatness is a worldwide trait and can exist anywhere.
I hope this story becomes more widespread.
Thanks for sharing!
(10) Peter Altman Cohen, January 5, 2021 6:16 PM
To save one life it is as if you are saving the world.
Every Jew should know the story of Ho Fengshan. They should understand that this heroic man saved thousands of Jews even while the Japanese were committing genocide against Chinese. Yet, Ho Fengshan risked his and his family's life.
My paternal grandmother was a Russian Jewish orphan. She escaped to Manchurian (Japanese-occupied) and was taken in by many hospitable Chinese families who saved her life and she emigrated to San Fransisco (like many Asians) via Shanghai. Eventually she married and lived in Boston.
(9) Harriet Pearson, January 5, 2021 3:53 PM
I knew some of those people
My parents welcomed new immigrants in 1950 from Shanghai. They lived with dus for 4 years. When I went to Shanghai, I was able to trace them through the synagogue.
(8) Ruth Beton, January 5, 2021 3:12 PM
Great people deserve more
The great people of China deserve more than the cruel dangerous despot government that rules China today. Let us fight for them as this great man fought for us.
(7) David Shammai, January 5, 2021 2:41 PM
Dr. Yvette Miller's Invaluable Service
Dr. Miller is to be commended for still another excellent piece on the angels who saved Jews from the Nazi beast.
In this era of Cancel Culture, she has shown that despite all odds, there is a place for people with courage and integrity to stand up to tyranny and oppression.
In our times, we have seen that despite the opposition of the "News" media, Big Tech and biased Internet Platforms that are intent on censorship and cancel culture, we as Jews who appreciate history can, more than ever, understand the need people who will stand up for Human Rights, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, despite those who do not know or care to remember the history that was the Shoa. Regrettably, many Jews need to be reminded of those heroes who stood up including Dr. Ho!
(6) Belinda Doubell, December 4, 2020 2:20 PM
Such stories can and does inspire action in this generation.
Thank G-d for such heroes we can learn from so that our generation can courageously apply their convictions if we ever have to face a situation where souls need saving.
(5) Larry swern, December 1, 2020 5:38 AM
Thank God there are people like Dr. Ho. we need more people like Dr. Ho
(4) Betty Silberman, December 1, 2020 1:47 AM
Truly a great man!
I'd never heard of Dr. Ho until today. What a remarkable man he was...courageous, compassionate and sekfless. We need more people like him to hold up as model citizens of the world!
(3) Ian Light, November 30, 2020 7:06 PM
A great man . Great story
Great to know there were Righteous Gentiles with mercy . In the end many German and Austrian Jews escaped more than 300,000 to the United Kingdom Palestine South America and the United States but it’s was very restricted . There was limited mercy but some . Millions of Jews could have been saved but there were harsh restrictions .
(2) Ayala, November 30, 2020 4:44 PM
My mother s family fled on the last boat from Vienna to Shanghai. My mother fled to Israel where the British refused entry. She swam to shore with no belongings other than the clothes on her.
(1) Neal Hugh Hurwitz, November 30, 2020 3:50 PM
Terrific! TY
Righteous.