Nearly every Jewish person in Japan has heard of Chiune Sugihara, the only Nihonjin recognized in Yad VaShem’s Righteous Among the Nations. The story is typically told as a Japanese diplomat going rogue in Kovno, Lithuania to issue visas over the objection of his bosses in Tokyo losing his job but saving the lives of thousands of Jews who faced near certain death.
Less discussed are the cast of characters who helped the holders of Sugihara’s ‘visas for life’ escape the Baltics, travel across the Soviet Union, take the ferry from Vladivostok to Tsuruga and then the train to Kobe. While each of these miracle workers demonstrated selfless service, there is one figure whose story bridges the Jewish-Japanese divide better than anyone else likely because he was both. I am referring to Professor Abraham Setsuzau Kotsuji whose 51st yahrzeit we observe this Shabbat and whose plaque proudly hangs outside our sanctuary.
Born to an ancient family of Shinto priests in Kyoto in 1899, Kotsuji-san came upon a copy of the Bible as a young man. The text affected him greatly and he converted to Christianity while still hoping to one day learn scripture in its original language. He journeyed to the United States where he studied religion and Hebrew on both coasts before returning to the Japan where he became a professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, founded the Institute of Biblical Research and published the first Hebrew grammar book in Japanese.
Offered a job with the South Manchuria Railway, Kotsuji-san jumped at the opportunity largely due to his knowing that a robust Jewish population existed there which he hoped to learn more about. When the person who recruited him left Harbin to become Foreign Minister, he departed for Kamakura taking a valuable relationship with him in the process.
On his return to Japan, Kotsuji-san heard of the travails of the Jewish refugees in Kobe whose Sugihara visas were in fact only meant to transit through Japan to Curaçao. Leveraging his friendship with the new Foreign Minister, Kotsuji-san successfully conducted shuttle diplomacy, literally in the form of 12-hour train rides, between the authorities in Tokyo and Kobe to extend the stay of the refugees until eventually they were brought en masse to Shanghai.
In the 1950s, Kotsuji-san converted to Judaism in Israel. In 1973, he passed away and was buried on Har haMenuchot in Jerusalem. His obituary appeared in the New York Times. With only an elderly daughter remaining and no grandchildren, it behooves us at the JCC to recite the Kaddish for our former member this Shabbat. May the memory of Professor ‘Avraham ben Avraham’ Setsuzau Kotsuji be for a blessing.
Perhaps not since Kotsuji-san has a family committed themselves so altruistically to the Jewish Community of Japan in terms of time and effort than the Rosenbergs. We look forward to a big turnout tonight to honor their innumerable sacrifices to ensure that our doors remain open and our Hebrew School vibrant.
Services
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday Night Dinner is generously sponsored by Kathy Pike and family in honor of Marsha and Jerry Rosenberg and their decades of extraordinary leadership at the JCJ
Friday, November 1st
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, November 8th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Lech Lecha
Kiddush sponsored by the Brecher family in honor of the 3rd Yahrzeit of Regina Brecher, Rivka bat Esther v’Reuben
Saturday, November 9th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, November 15th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, November 22nd
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Thanksgiving Dinner
Friday, November 29th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Toldot
Kiddush tentatively sponsored
Saturday, November 30th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Friday Night Dinner Reservations: https://jccjapan.jp/shabbat-meals-sign-up/
Events
Silent Tears – The Last Yiddish Tango (live performance)
Sunday, December 8th Time TBD
Event Registration Page: https://jccjapan.jp/event-registration/
If you have an idea for an event or a topic you would like to share with others, please visit our website: https://jccjapan.jp/event-committee-inquiry/
Announcements
Mazal Tov to the Keidar Family on the wedding of their daughter in Israel. Bayit Chadash b’Yisrael!
Thank you to our incredible staff, volunteers and members who made 5784 our best High Holidays yet (probably). The last days of Sukkot were beautiful with multiple minyanim and even a Simchat Torah reading for the first time in recent memory. Kol HaKavod!
Are you an American far from home worried about how you’re going to celebrate Thanksgiving? Not to worry, the JCC has you covered. We’ve secured a kosher 18lb (chai!) turkey along with cans upon cans of pumpkin (really winter squash), jellied cranberries and all the fix-ins just like Bubbe used to make.
Reserve for Friday night dinner, November 29th to share our bounty as a community. Now hiring for a Zaidy to carve the turkey and an uncle/aunt with crazy political opinions for the authentic Thanksgiving experience. Left, right or center all are welcome.
Which leads us right into Election Day. Do not forget to vote especially if it’s for…really? You thought I would finish that sentence?
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested to join. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club’s monthly meetings explore Yiddish culture as well.
Shabbat Parshat Noach
Candle Lighting: 4:27pm
Havdala: 5:24pm