"We felt it was a good thing to do, the right thing tism," Rabbi Rosenzweig said. "This is quite differ- derful gift to the American television audience," he
to do," said Bright. "We try to sponsor quality pro- ent from the blatant anti-Semitism that [Henry] Ford said.
But, he conceded, "for some, it may be very ironic. If
gramming and if that programming has redeeming had identified himself with."
indeed this is [the company's] past history,
social and educational value, then so
what the Ford Division is doing is kind of
much the better."
wonderful."
Clearly, something had to change in
Bright said the company is aware of the
the years since Henry Ford — in his
founder's history.
newspaper, The Dearborn Independent
"I don't think there was any considera-
— ranted about the world's social ills be-
tion given to that in our choosing to sponsor
ing directly attributable to Jews.
this film," he said. "There is nothing we can
In the time that followed Ford's death
do about the past except to learn from it."
in 1946, his grandson Henry Ford II took
Henry Ford, too, appeared to learn from
control of the auto giant. According to Al-
his past. According to Lee's book, Ford is-
bert Lee's book, Henry Ford and the Jews,
sued a retraction for his-writings and urged
the younger Ford also made every at-
other Americans to disavow themselves of
tempt to reconcile with the Jewish com-
anti-Semitic leanings.
munity for his grandfather's anti-Semitic
At the end of his life, Ford suffered a se-
actions, donating millions of dollars to
ries of strokes but recovered and continued
Jewish causes like the United Jewish Ap-
to take an active role in the company he
peal, the Israel Emergency Fund and the
founded.
Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.
According to historical accounts, Mr. Ford
Although times have changed, the
was at the Rouge Plant's auditorium on a
irony of the film's sponsorship is not lost
day in May 1945. As he watched films doc-
on Rabbi Charles Rosenzweig, executive
umenting the Nazi's work toward their Fi-
vice president and founder of the Holo-
nal Solution at the Majdanek concentration
caust Memorial Center in West Bloom-
camp, he suffered his final stroke.
field, Mich. A Holocaust survivor who
Henry Ford never completely recovered.
spent most of the war hidden from the
(Gandhi)
Academy
Award
winner
Ben
Kingsley
Ralph Fiennes played Amon Goeth,
He died nearly nine months later, in Feb-
plays ltzhak Stern, the voice of conscience.
Nazis, Rabbi Rosenzveig called the spon-
an evil Nazi soldier.
ruary 1946. ❑
sorship "a positive turn."
Marvin Levy, publicist for Spielberg's Amblin En-
"It is kind of an interesting phenomenon and a sign
Schindler's List will be presented, without com-
of the times perhaps that an institution that carries tertainment, said Spielberg was "enormously pleased
mercial interruption, on NBC 7:30-11 p.m. Sun-
the name of Ford is now undertaking a project that that Ford became the sole sponsor."
day, February 23.
"Doing it without commercial interruption is a won-
brings into the forefront the consequences of anti-Semi-
Sugiltara's Struggle Featured At
Kovno. After hearing of the refugees' accounts
knmyT
kno some-
e
bile nearly e very Jewish
he ro- of persecution at the hands of the Nazis, Sug
thing about O skar Schin dler, few
ihara and Zwartendijk devised a plan to is-
ism
ugillara.
Yet, this couple, at the risk of their own lives sue visas to Curacao and Surinam, two
and those of their children, saved between 6,000 and Caribbean Dutch agonies. To get to the
12,000 Polish Jews from the hands ofNazis during World Caribbean, the refugees would have to pass
through the Soviet Union and Japan.
War II.
In the heat of the summer, Jews who heard
A photo display documenting the altruiffn. ofthe Japan-
ese diplomat and his wife opens Sunday, March 2, at the of the plan lined up outside of the Japanese
Spertus Museum in Chicago. It will include original doc- consulate. Time was of the essence because
uments issued by Sugihara as well as photos of the Japan- the Soviets had ordered all foreign embassies
to leave Kovno.
ese consul and the Jews he saved.
Staying on a 20-day extension, Sugihara
The Spertus curator of education, Susan Schaalman
Youdovin, said the exhibit may be one way to explore asked his superiors to grant visas to the
refugees. However, the Japanese government
what goes into making "a decent human being."
"The message is that somewhere in this terrible night- was not amenable to Sugihara's request.
With the support of his
mare of darkness, there were
wife, &Amu disobeyed his
some pockets of incredible de-
superiors and signed as Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consular official serving in Lithuania, saved one of
cency," she said. "It in no way
many visas as possible be- the largest number of Jews in the Holocaust.
compares to the unbridled evil
fore he was forced to leave
that was rampant at the time,
1985, Sugihara's actions were recognized by the Is-
on August 28, 1940. Even from the train, raeli government, which awarded him with the country's
but it is important to know
that these tiny slivers of light
he continued to sign the documents, highest honor, "Righteous Among Nations." He died the
throwing them from the window as the next year. El
did serve to save thousands."
train pulled away from the station
The couple's heroic efforts
lil <visas for Toe : Th– . .. . z-' E.;.' , „:!i,, , ,,, .,,o.,
Historians estimate that his action in
began in July 1940 when Chi-
'.'-
',,4
& yukilto sugihara aet1W,0
signing 2,193 visas saved the lives of
une Sugihara was the consul
. meiz. ',,,..-
6,000 to 12,000 Jews because a visa
general of Japan in Kovno,
.11•41**444Alit..
-:'
Jews" opens Sunday, Matt. :,-,
s , ,4,--iF. ,...„.,v.;e.-,-,.;‘, ;.:,.,i.-
could be used for an entire family.
Lithuania, a location that had
ly, May 30, at the Spertus qs0iiiinunicago,,liae
Because Sugihara disobeyed the museum is located at 618 S. Michigan Avenue- Mu-
become a safe haven for Jews
diplomatic authorities, he was dismissed
who fled Poland following Ger-
seum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through
from the Japanese service in 1947. He
many's invasion in September
Thursday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday; closed Saturday.
worked odd jobs in Japan before moo-
1939.
Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children, stu-
ing to Moscow to work for trading corn-
As a diplomat, Sugihara be- Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara in front of a park
dents and seniors. Maximum family rate is $9; Fri-
friended Jan Zwartendijk, the entrance. Printed in German and Lithuanian, the panies. He later retired and moved back
days are free. For information on the show and other
to Japan.
honorary Dutch consul also in sign behind reads "Jews not allowed."
programs, call the museum at (312) 322-1747.
-
fi