Shaoul Levy’s Tribute to Chiune Sugihara and my tribute to Shaoul Levy  The final installment of a series begun in our February issue
– Anne Hoshiko Akabori with Andrea Rademan  6/2003

Status of Chiune Sugihara located at the corner of 2nd and Central St. in Little Tokyo

Hiroki pictured w/ General Colin Powell during Holocaust Remembrance Day (Holocaust Museum, San Antonio, TX)

Map showing the route going across the Soviet union that was taken by the Polish-Jewish refugees in order to reach Kobe, Japan.

Medal and honors presented to Chiune Sugihara.

For the past seven years, I have been a volunteer executive director and chair for Visas for Life Foundation, a non-profit organization, to perpetuate the legacy of Chiune Sugihara. Consul Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat memorialized for saving thousands of Jewish lives prior to WWII. He made this heroic decision to save lives against the backdrop of impending war and at a time when his country, Japan, was on the verge of forming a pact with Germany and Italy to form the Axis Alliance. In making a decision to save lives against the dictates of his government, he chose to listen to his conscience and his humanitarian beliefs.

The Visas for Life Foundation’s mission is to educate and promote the ideals of humanitarianism through the story and example of Chiune Sugihara. One of the perks of this job in order to disseminate this story is that it requires a lot of traveling. During these travels, I have had the opportunity to meet many high profile, fascinating people. However, my greatest joy has been to meet otherwise ordinary, average individuals who live decent lives with their families and friends. These are people who, however, during the course of their quiet and unassuming lives, make deeply meaningful contributions to society. This article is about one such person who I have had the great fortune to meet during my travels.

I met Shaoul in a hotel lobby in the old part of Los Angeles known as ‘Little Tokyo.” My first impression was that, although he was not physically imposing his demeanor was that of a quiet and kindly person. I immediately sensed that he had strength of character because he seemed centered and he impressed me as a man who appreciated life.

What brought us together that day was a project that was he had originated and financed. Mr. Shaoul Levy’s special project was a life sized bronze statue that would be a permanent tribute to memorialize a hero of the Holocaust.

The fact that the statue would be placed in Little Tokyo was meaningful to the many inhabitants of this area whose ancestry is Japanese. This area got its name because at the turn of the century immigrants moved to Los Angeles from Japan and formed enclaves in this area. As more Japanese immigrants continued to settle here, the neighborhood gradually evolved into a small community of Japanese shops, restaurants, hotels, homes, temples and other establishments.

Now I was meeting Shaoul because the next day we would officially unveil this statue of Chiune Sugihara sitting on a bench and processing a visa. Shaoul, who had commissioned the bronze statue to honor an obscure hero, had invited Chiaki Sugihara, the second son of Chiune Sugihara, to do the honors at the unveiling. Chiaki requested my attendance because of my association with the Foundation and my closeness to his family. I was, of course, honored and excited to aid in the recognition of Chiune Sugihara’s bravery, and I was especially delighted that the statue had been erected in the heart of Little Tokyo, near the National Japanese American Museum.

The ceremony began on a lovely morning in sunny Los Angeles. Rabbi Cooper, of the groundbreaking, interactive Museum of Tolerance, introduced the guest speakers. He opened with an inspiring message about the lessons learned from the legacy of Chiune Sugihara. As different guests and dignitaries were introduced, I observed that Shaoul seemed to avoid personal attention or recognition. I had expected that he would be at the center of attention. We were, After all, gathered together on this beautiful December day, as a result of his personal generosity.

Curious about what kind of person Shaoul was and why he had decided to build such a beautiful tribute. I decided to get better acquainted with him, recognizing that he, like Sugihara, seemed humble and to prefer anonymity.

About 100 spectators, including many city dignitaries and representatives of Jewish and Japanese organizations, attended the unveiling. After the ceremony, Shaoul hosted some of the guests to a wonderful Japanese luncheon, where I met his charming wife and three beautiful children. I asked him if he would grant me an interview, to which he agreed. Thus I had the privilege to learn about a true gentleman with an interesting story to tell.

“Why did you decide to build a statue honoring Chiune Sugihara? I asked Shaoul. “It all began when my wife saw a “Conspiracy of Kindness,” he answered. “She was so impressed, she told me all about it.” Having been associated with developing this film with Hiroki Sugihara, Chiune’s eldest son, I was flattered to hear this. Hiroki passed away about a year ago but I hope he was present in spirit to know the reaction to this film about his father, a man who provided a beacon of hope during a dark period in history.

Shaoul thought about his own family’s history of persecution and their escape from the anti-Semitism that had been growing in their homeland of Iraq in the 1950s, spurred on by Israel’s gaining independence. His was a family steeped in Judaic history dating back to ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq), when Moses still walked the earth. Descended from the Levis, caretakers of the Temple, for thousands of years his ancestors had faced countless persecutions yet somehow survived. Thinking of their determination and the miracle that the Levy's still walk the earth today, he understood how precious it would have been if his family had come upon a benefactor like Sugihara.

Shaoul remembered his own escape from Iran when the Shah was dethroned and a tyrannical regime overtook the country. He relocated to the United Kingdom to attend the University of London, where he majored in chemistry. A year later, he transferred to Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where he majored in business and accounting. Upon graduating, he was hired by Price Waterhouse, the accounting firm. On a visit to friends in Southern California, he decided to relocate here, seduced by the Mediterranean climate that was similar to the Middle East. Eventually he started his own business, Levy & Affiliated Holdings, LLC.

Learning the story of Chiune Sugihara was an epiphany that started him thinking about the meaning of life and that the lessons of the past must be passed onto future generations, Shaoul related his family’s escape to what is presently happening in Iraq. He does not believe in war, or the killing of human beings, but he believes that tyrants like Saddam Hussein must be removed, even if by force. Because terrorism feeds on ignorance, eradicating ignorance through education is the greatest weapon against tyranny. Shaoul’s personal mission in life is to advocate for freedom over tyranny.

About the time Shaoul learned about Sugihara, he was developing a retail center in Little Tokyo. The architect, Jerry Viniegras, inspired by the paintings of Hiroshige, one of Japan’s greatest artists, who was renowned for his paintings of waves, had created the image of waves on the roof of the building.

Once the city, which requires any new development to include an art project, gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, Shaoul decided the front of the center would be the perfect spot for a bronze statue to Chiune Sugihara and he hired artist Ramon Velazco to bring it to life. 

This was Shaoul’s way of giving back to his country and community, and contributing towards educating young people about the past and deeds that should not be forgotten. It also gave me the good fortune to meet someone who is making a difference. There is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to find interesting ways to do his good works, even when they are as costly as this enormously expensive endeavor. Says Shaoul, “Who can think of a better way to spend money?”

Note: “Educating for Tolerance: The Case of Resurgent Anti-Semitism,” convened last month at UNESCO world headquarters. This is a time of crisis and uncertainty for Israel, and of resurgent anti-Semitism in Europe and across the globe. Just last month Simon Wiesenthal, now 95, said, “there is more anti-Semitism today than we experienced in the 1930s.”  Over the course of the last 30 months, the United Nations and their agencies, as well as many European governments, have stood by silently or feigned ignorance of this threat. The Jewish community of France has been the target of over 1,300 hate crimes and incidents during the last 2 years. The Center delivered the message directly to those who needed to hear it most - to force the issue of anti-Semitism into the international arena and point out the moral failure in Europe that has allowed anti-Semitism to reemerge. If you share Shaoul’s concerns about our future, you may wish to contact the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international organization that promotes tolerance worldwide at http://www.wiesenthal.com.