The Fugu Plan by Marvin Tokayer and Mary Schwartz; Gefen Publishing House, ISBN: 978-965229-3299; 277 pages
By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO — In 1939, escape routes for Jews fleeing from Europe to the west were closing. One, however, remained open but it was to the east – through Russia. The Fugu Plan by Marvin Tokayer and Mary Schwartz, tells of the young diplomat, Senpo Sugihara, stationed in the Japanese Consulate office in Vilna, Lithuania and the visas he issued to the frantic Jews trying so desperately to escape.
These visas would give them diplomatic cover through Russia, entry into Japan and temporary residence before continuing on to the island of Curacao which allowed entry without a visa. There was a long established Jewish community in Curacao (home of the oldest synagogue in the Americas).
As the Nazis approached, this intrepid Japanese diplomat, against the orders of his own government, continued to give out visas even as he boarded a train taking him out of Europe. He issued 6000 visas in all.
Each visa holder gave a large amount of upfront money to Russia’s Intourist Agency for the trip across Siberia by train and a sea voyage to Kobe, Japan. Many Jews in Europe had lived insulated lives tucked away in ghetto pockets and had little knowledge of Japan. They were, however, fully cognizant of the terrors of Russia and feared being pulled out of the train and shot somewhere in the vast Siberian wilderness.
Jewish escapees – including an entire Yeshiva from Vilna – were going to a country utterly foreign with an unfamiliar language, customs and culture. When they finally arrived at Kobe, Japan, a lone man was waiting for them on the dock. Imagine their surprise when he greeted them in Yiddish – one of a small group of Jews who lived in Japan for reasons of commerce. But, the trip wasn’t over; many refugees would eventually end up in China still under Japanese control.
As thousands of refugees gathered in Kobe, the Japanese came under intense pressure from their German ally to kill every Jew within reach. In response, the Japanese government ordered the Jewish community to send two Jewish leaders to Tokyo for interrogation. After much deliberation, the Jewish community decided the Japanese authorities would only be impressed if two most senior Rabbis were sent. However, these two Rabbis were elderly and ill. When they spent much of the trip to Tokyo taking naps, the younger Jews accompanying them became concerned that the Rabbis had no plan or idea of what to say to the Japanese authorities.
The two elderly men found themselves facing four Japanese admirals. They were asked the pivotal question: “Why do the Germans hate Jews so much?” With the life of the thousands of Jews in the balance, one of the Rabbis answered with three words. Only three words. Three words which entirely changed the Japanese view of their German allies and the Japanese view of the Jews. For the rest of the war the Japanese did not give in to German pressure and though the Jewish community was under strict Japanese control – they were not harmed.
You can read this history (and the three words) in this truly intriguing book.
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Sheila Orysiek is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of literature and the arts. She may be contacted via sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com