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Orchestra honors former diplomat

A leading Israeli symphony orchestra playing in the city of Raanana on Wednesday night dedicated a special piece of music to a late Republic of China (ROC) diplomat in recognition of his courage in helping Jews escape the Nazis in Austria during World War II.

Raphael Gamzou, head of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, told the Central News Agency that the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra on Wednesday night premiered six special compositions, including one dedicated to late diplomat Ho Feng-shan (何鳳山). The event was held to pay tribute to several recipients of the Righteous Among the Nations — a title bestowed on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

“This is an important act that will also remain for generations to come because it will become part of the cultural treasures of Israel,” Gamzou said.

Silent Skies: A Tribute to Feng-shan Ho was written by leading Israeli composer Michael Wolpe to express his gratitude to the people who saved his family and whose efforts meant he could live peacefully in a free land, Gamzou said.

Gamzou said he would be delighted should the orchestra be invited to Taiwan to perform the new piece because it carries an important message.

“Indeed, I believe that this hero [Ho Feng-shan] should be put on a pedestal and should be a role model for young Taiwanese and for generations to come, as this is more than a chapter of Israel’s history, it is a great lesson for humanity,” Gamzou said.

Ho Feng-shan was posted to the Austrian capital Vienna in 1937 and was promoted to the post of consul-general the following year, when Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany.

As Jewish families desperately sought to flee the country, they had difficulty getting visas, with 32 countries refusing to accept Jewish immigrants because they feared Germany.

Out of sympathy for their plight, Ho issued visas in defiance of a ban issued by ROC ambassador to Berlin Chen Jie (陳介), providing them with an opportunity to escape to other countries via China.

It is unclear how many visas he issued to Jewish refugees at the time, but the number is believed to be around 2,000. Ho retired from the diplomatic service in 1973 and died in San Francisco in 1997.

His actions in Vienna went unnoticed until his bereaved children revealed them in an obituary published in the Boston Globe.
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