Wednesday, March 11, 2026

These European Countries Will Pay You to Move There in 2026—and One Pays You Up to $81,000

 Grants, rent subsidies, and reduced taxes could help make the move more affordable.

5 Things to Do in Singapore
Boats anchored in a calm harbor with houses and a tree on the shoreline
Baltimore harbor in Ireland.Credit: 

Irjaliina Paavonpera/Travel + Leisure

Travelers dreaming of living in Europe often calculate the financial pros and cons of each country. But this year, those calculations may look a little different. 

Countries like Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal offer a mix of cash, grants, and tax breaks to new residents, making it financially easier to pack up and moveaccording to International Living.

In most cases, travelers must figure out residency on their own (it’s frequently one of the stipulations to receive the funds), and there are a number of other requirements and caveats. Still, new residents could end up with around $82,000 to bring their dream home in Ireland back to life, for example, or more than $4,000 to move to the Portuguese countryside. 

In Ireland, score your own “P.S. I Love You” moment thanks to a hefty grant of up to €70,000 ($81,214) with the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, according to the Irish government. The grant provides qualifying individuals with €50,000 ($58,010) to redo a “qualifying vacant property in cities, towns, villages, and rural parts of the country.” An additional “top-up grant” of €20,000 ($23,204) is also available.

To receive both, new residents must prove their ownership or proof of active negotiations to buy the home, and show the home has been vacant for at least two years. The home will also need to be the grantee's primary residence, or be made available to rent once the work is complete.

In Italy, travelers have long been tempted by €1 ($1.16) home programs along with the country's €100,000 ($116,020) offers to move there. But potential new residents should note the requirements may be extensive.

In previous years, the town of Radicondoli, just outside Florence, has provided various incentives for moving, including offering half of the first two years of rent for new tenants. It’s not clear if the same offer stands in 2026. However, Italy does offer retirees a reduced 7 percent tax on foreign income if they relocate to qualifying towns in Central or Southern Italy, according to the Italian Revenue Agency.

Spain and Greece also offer tax breaks. In Spain, the Beckham's Law allows some foreign workers to pay a flat tax on certain income, according to International Living. And those who relocate to Greece can take advantage of a 7 percent flat tax rate for up to 15 years.

When it comes to Portugal, the country's Working in the Interior Program is seemingly one of the most straightforward pay-to-move schemes. The country will pay eligible new residents up to €3,759.91 ($4,363.01) to relocate to an inland destination, according to the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP). That number increases by 20 percent for each household member accompanying them.

A gentle giant who sang with the soul of the land

The voice that made the world go silent came from a man who was quietly fighting to stay alive.

Long before his music traveled across oceans and movie screens, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole was simply a boy in Honolulu with a ukulele in his hands and music in his blood. Born in 1959 to parents who worked at a Waikiki nightclub, sound surrounded him from the beginning. By the age of eleven, he was already playing seriously, learning not just chords but emotion.

Summers spent with his grandparents on Niʻihau shaped him deeply. It was an island untouched by tourism, where Indigenous culture still lived and breathed. There, Israel absorbed something more powerful than melody. Identity. Belonging. Responsibility to his people.

As a teenager, he formed the Mākaha Sons with his brother Skippy. Their music was different. Honest. Rooted. At a time when Hawaiian culture was being diluted for tourists, they sang songs that belonged to the land and the people who loved it. Hawaiians listened. And they felt seen.

Then tragedy struck.

In 1982, Skippy died suddenly of a heart attack linked to obesity. He was only 28. The loss devastated Israel, but it also became a quiet warning he could never escape. Still, he kept going. Singing. Writing. Carrying grief and purpose at the same time.

One night in 1988, at 2:30 a.m., Israel called recording engineer Milan Bertosa from a payphone outside a bar. He asked if he could come in and record something. When he arrived, Bertosa was stunned by his size and presence. Microphones were set up quickly. No rehearsal. No second takes.

Israel sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

One take. Imperfect. Raw. Human. And unforgettable.

That recording sat untouched for years before finding its place on his 1993 album Facing Future. When it was finally released, the world responded. The album went platinum. His voice traveled far beyond Hawaii. But to his people, songs like Hawaiʻi ’78 mattered even more. They spoke of land lost, culture ignored, ancestors watching a world they no longer recognized.

Fame brought financial relief but could not save his health.

By the mid 1990s, Israel struggled to breathe. He carried oxygen. Hospitals became familiar. Friends snuck him cookies despite knowing the cost. Yet even as his body failed, his spirit did not. He spoke calmly about death, reminding others that Hawaiians believed in living across worlds.

On June 26, 1997, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole died of respiratory failure at just 38 years old. Hawaii stopped. Flags flew at half mast. Thousands gathered. His ashes were carried by canoe to Makua Beach as paddlers filled the ocean and horns echoed from the shore. It was not a funeral. It was a farewell worthy of a guardian.

He was laid in honor at the state Capitol, a recognition usually reserved for political leaders. Because Israel was more than a singer. He was a voice that protected memory. A giant who sang gently. A man whose music reminded a people who they were.

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The Journey to Perfection

March 11, 2026
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Readings for Today

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Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18

The long history of salvation, through which God gradually revealed His divine plan, began with Adam and Eve, continued with Noah and Abraham, deepened with Moses, became internalized with the prophets, and was fulfilled in Jesus. Though tracing this history in detail is a lengthy process, one simple truth stands out: After the fall of Adam and Eve, God gradually unfolded the perfection of His Divine Law to His people. In the same way, He draws each of us closer as we slowly convert and are purified through our spiritual journey.

At the start, God established what we call the Natural Law. Adam and Eve understood moral truths naturally. However, after their sin, that Law became obscured and remains so today. God then made a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth by water. With Abraham, the covenant deepened, as God promised to bless all nations through his descendants. Then came Moses, and with him, the Ten Commandments, a clear moral code for living. Ceremonial laws were introduced to guide the people in worship, and civil laws helped establish the Israelites as God’s distinct people.

Once Israel was established, God sent prophets to call for a deeper, internal transformation of heart. The prophets urged the people to repent, return to God, and prepare for the Messiah, who would fulfill the Covenant in its entirety.

When Jesus arrived, His teaching illuminated a fuller understanding of the Law. In Him, all the promises and precepts of the Law were realized. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus established a New Covenant of grace, bringing about the fullness of redemption.

This overview of salvation history is not only important from a historical perspective but also offers insight into how God relates to each of us personally. In the beginning of our own conversion, God meets us where we are: He calls us to be His children, and we are drawn to follow His commandments, avoiding serious sin. As we progress, our faith practices, including the sacraments, take on new depth. Gradually, we internalize the call to live from the heart, not just through outward observance. We begin to see God as an intimate and personal God, and we work to overcome even small attachments to sin. Ultimately, we are called to turn fully to the Gospel, letting it lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Recognizing this progression is essential for our spiritual journeys. If we fail to see this path, we might become complacent. Everything God revealed at the beginning of your conversion remains true, but the start is not the fulfillment. As you reflect on your life, ask yourself: Can I see how God has drawn me closer to Himself, deepened my faith, and called me into greater union with Him?

God leads us gently, knowing that immediate perfection would be overwhelming. Still, He desires our daily growth. Each day is an opportunity for continued conversion, deeper transformation, and spiritual purification. The great saints have written about this journey, showing us the way to holiness.

Reflect today on the call to be perfect. If that seems impossible, commit to one step at a time. The road to perfection is long, demanding, and difficult—but it is also freeing, transforming, and ultimately glorious. Though you won’t become a saint overnight, you can take the next step toward holiness today. Say “Yes” to this journey and trust that God will lead you.

My revealing Lord, little by little You have shown us the path to salvation. From the time of Adam and Eve until Your coming as man, You have guided us back to full communion with You. In my own life, reveal to me the path to holiness and give me the courage to follow it. Help me to grow into sainthood, one step at a time. Jesus, I trust in You.

31 Real Stories That Will Break Your Heart and Remind You People Are Good

1.The Man Who Built Free Wheelchairs from Scrap
A retired mechanic in a small village started collecting broken bicycles and spare metal. Over months, he turned his garage into a workshop, building wheelchairs for people who couldn’t afford them. He never charged a cent, saying, “Everyone deserves to move freely in life.” Hundreds now roll proudly on wheels made from kindness.

2.The Café That Lets Customers Pay with a Hug
In a cozy café downtown, customers are greeted with smiles—and a unique offer: if you’re short on money, you can pay with a hug. The idea began when a student forgot her wallet, and the owner said, “Your smile is enough.” Word spread, and now people come not just for coffee, but for connection.

3.The Farmer Who Shared His Water in a Drought
When drought hit his region, a farmer opened his private well to his neighbors. For weeks, families and even nearby villages lined up to fill their buckets. He said, “Water shouldn’t belong to one man; it belongs to life.” His generosity helped dozens survive the toughest summer in decades.

4.The Taxi Driver Who Gave a Free Ride Home to a Nurse
Late one night, a nurse finished a long shift and realized she had lost her wallet. A taxi driver took her home anyway and refused payment. When she thanked him, he said, “You save lives every day. Tonight was my turn.” The next morning, she found her wallet in her hospital locker—with a note that read, “Stay kind.”

5.The Restaurant That Serves the Hungry Every Sunday
A small family-owned restaurant closes for business every Sunday—but not for rest. On that day, the owners cook free meals for the homeless and elderly in their community. They say it’s the best part of their week. The restaurant’s motto painted on the wall says it all: “If you eat here, you’re family.”

6.The Teacher Who Paid for a Student’s Exam Fees
A bright student almost dropped out of school because his family couldn’t afford exam fees. His teacher quietly paid them, telling him it was a scholarship. Years later, the boy graduated top of his class and returned to that same school—to pay fees for another student in need.

7.The Woman Who Knit Blankets for Refugees
A grandmother began knitting colorful blankets for refugees during winter. When her hands grew weak, she taught her neighbors to knit too. Within months, dozens joined her, forming a group called “Threads of Hope.” Their handmade blankets now warm hundreds across camps and shelters.

8.The Man Who Gave His Shoes to a Stranger
In a busy train station, a commuter noticed a homeless man shivering barefoot. Without hesitation, he took off his shoes, gave them to the man, and walked away in his socks. A witness captured the moment, and the story spread online—reminding millions that compassion doesn’t need cameras, only heart.

9.The Girl Who Left Notes of Encouragement for Strangers
A shy teenager struggling with anxiety began leaving handwritten notes on park benches and bus stops. Messages like “You matter” and “Someone believes in you.” Weeks later, she found one of her own notes taped to a streetlight—with a message written back: “I found your note when I needed it most. Thank you.”

10.The Village That Built a School Together
In a rural area where children had to walk hours to reach the nearest school, villagers decided to build one themselves. Farmers donated wood, builders offered labor, and mothers cooked meals for the volunteers. The day it opened, everyone cried—not from exhaustion, but from pride.

11.The Barber Who Cuts Hair for the Homeless
Every Sunday, a local barber closes his shop to the public and opens it for free haircuts to the homeless. He says, “A good haircut gives dignity back.” For many, his chair has become a place to restart life with confidence and a smile.

12.The Woman Who Left Groceries on Strangers’ Doorsteps
During hard times, a woman began leaving bags of food on her neighbors’ porches with notes that read, “If you’re struggling, you’re not alone.” The movement spread across the town—people helping each other silently, one doorstep at a time.

13.The Taxi Driver Who Became a Lifeline
A taxi driver noticed one of his regular passengers—a cancer patient—hadn’t booked a ride for days. Worried, he drove to her home, found her unwell, and called for help. She survived thanks to his quick thinking and said, “He wasn’t just my driver; he was my angel.”

The Waiter Who Fed a Hungry Child
One evening, a waiter noticed a little boy staring at customers eating. When he realized the child was hungry, he brought him a meal and sat with him while he ate. Later, he said, “No one should ever eat alone in hunger.”

The Couple Who Adopted a Stranger’s Baby
A couple who couldn’t have children learned about a young mother planning to abandon her baby due to poverty. They met her, supported her through childbirth, and adopted the baby with her blessing. Today, the three remain close—proof that love creates families in unexpected ways.

The Old Man Who Fixed Bikes for Kids
A retired engineer spent his days repairing broken bikes left in alleys. When children came by, he’d give them a restored bike and say, “Promise to ride far and dream big.” Every bike carried a piece of his kindness through the neighborhood.

The Community That Rebuilt a Firefighter’s Home
After a firefighter lost his house to flames, the same people he had once rescued came together to rebuild it. Within weeks, his family had a new home—built with gratitude and compassion.

The Bus Driver Who Waited for an Elderly Passenger
Every day, a driver noticed one elderly man rushing for his bus but often arriving late. Instead of leaving, the driver started waiting an extra minute. When asked why, he said, “He’s part of my route, too.”

The Teen Who Saved a Drowning Dog
A teenager jumped into a freezing river to save a dog swept away by the current. Afterward, when asked if he was scared, he said, “I just thought—if I don’t help, who will?” His courage became a symbol of pure empathy.

The Restaurant That Feeds the Hungry at Night
A restaurant owner noticed leftover meals being wasted. Instead of throwing them away, he began packaging the food and handing it out to homeless people each night. Soon, other restaurants joined the cause, turning leftovers into lifelines.

The Woman Who Paid for Strangers’ Laundry
Every weekend, a woman visited laundromats across the city, quietly paying for strangers’ loads. She said she once couldn’t afford clean clothes herself, and now it was her way of giving people dignity and comfort.

The Farmer Who Delivered Milk to Orphans
A farmer noticed a local orphanage struggling to feed children. Every morning, before dawn, he delivered fresh milk to their doorstep—without ever revealing his name. The children called him “the milk hero.”

The Students Who Cleaned Their Teacher’s Yard
After learning their elderly teacher couldn’t maintain his home, his former students showed up one weekend with tools and flowers. They cleaned, painted, and restored his yard. He said it was the most beautiful test he had ever graded.

The Man Who Helped a Stranger Read
A young man saw an older gentleman struggling to read a form at the post office. He helped him fill it out and learned the man had been hiding his illiteracy for years. The young man began visiting weekly to teach him to read.

The Bride Who Gave Her Dress Away
After her wedding, a bride donated her gown to a charity helping underprivileged brides. The next bride who wore it sent her a letter saying, “I felt beautiful because of your kindness.”

The Grocery Store That Keeps a “Kindness Tab”
A small grocery shop started allowing people to leave a few dollars “on tab” for future customers who couldn’t pay. The owner said he learned that giving a loaf of bread today can feed hope tomorrow.

The Boy Who Stood Up for His Sister
When a group of kids mocked his sister for having a disability, a young boy stood up and said, “She’s my hero.” His courage silenced them—and taught everyone around what true strength looks like.

The Pilot Who Waited for a Grieving Family
A flight was about to depart when a family received news that their father had passed away. They begged for a few minutes to collect themselves. The pilot delayed takeoff, came to them personally, and said, “Take all the time you need.” Humanity before schedule.

The Stranger Who Gave His Jacket Away
On a cold evening, a commuter saw a homeless man shivering. Without a word, he removed his jacket and wrapped it around the man. When others saw, they began offering scarves and gloves. Kindness, like warmth, spreads fast.

The Community That Threw a Birthday for a Lonely Kid
A mother posted online that no one RSVPed to her son’s 7th birthday. The community showed up—with gifts, cake, and balloons. The boy said, “It’s the best day ever.” A reminder that even one gesture can turn sadness into joy.

Closing Reflection
Humanity shines brightest in the simplest acts—when people choose empathy over indifference. From small towns to big cities, these stories prove that compassion is contagious.
When we give a little love, the world always gives it back.

https://livehealth.site/31-real-stories-that-will-break-your-heart-and-remind-you-people-are-good/

Jan Zwartendijk saved more lives

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Born in Rotterdam on July 29, 1896, Zwartendijk lived the quiet life of a company man. By 1939, he had risen to become director of the Lithuanian branch of Philips, the Dutch electronics giant that made light bulbs, gramophones, and radios. He lived in Kaunas, then the capital of Lithuania, with his wife and three children. Life was comfortable. He had a secondhand Buick in the driveway and a wide circle of friends.
Then the world collapsed.
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west while the Soviet Union invaded from the east. Over ten thousand Polish refugees fled into neutral Lithuania. Many of them were Jewish, including some of Poland's finest rabbis, scholars, and young men fleeing conscription.
In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. The Dutch ambassador to the Baltic states, L.P.J. de Decker, who resided in Riga, Latvia, immediately removed the existing Dutch consul in Kaunas because of his German wife's Nazi sympathies. A few weeks later, he asked Zwartendijk to take on the unpaid position of honorary consul.
Zwartendijk accepted. He expected to help perhaps a handful of Dutch citizens.
Then, on June 15, 1940, the Soviet Union invaded Lithuania.
The refugees who had fled Nazi persecution now found themselves trapped again. The Soviet authorities made clear they would not tolerate religious observance. For the Orthodox Jewish community, this meant persecution under yet another totalitarian regime. For everyone, it meant imprisonment behind borders that were rapidly closing.
They needed to escape. But escape required proof of a destination, and no country wanted them.
Then a woman named Pessla Lewin had an idea.
Lewin, a Jewish refugee from Poland, wrote to Ambassador de Decker asking if he could help her family emigrate to the Dutch West Indies. De Decker replied that visas to the Caribbean colonies were not being issued. Entry required permission from the local governor in Curaçao.
Lewin wrote back. Perhaps, she suggested, the ambassador could simply write in her passport that no visa was required for Curaçao, without mentioning the governor's permission?
De Decker agreed.
That single omission changed everything.
When word reached the yeshiva students Nathan Gutwirth and Chaim Nussbaum, they immediately understood the implications. If they could get this notation in their passports, they could use it to obtain a Soviet exit permit. And if they had an exit permit showing a destination in the Pacific, they might persuade the Japanese consul to issue a transit visa.
They took their passports to Zwartendijk.
At first, Zwartendijk wrote each notation by hand: "The Dutch Consulate in Kaunas, Lithuania, does not require an entry visa to enter the Dutch territories of the Americas, including Suriname and Curaçao."
It was technically true. It was also completely useless for actually getting to Curaçao. But that was not the point.
The word spread through the refugee community like fire.
Within hours, hundreds of desperate people lined up outside Zwartendijk's office. They came with their families, their elderly parents, their children. Some kissed his shoes. One man later recalled: "Among the refugees were the elderly and women. They were so desperate that they went so far as to kiss my shoes. Yes, I actually witnessed such scenes with my own eyes."
Zwartendijk had a rubber stamp made. The work went faster.
Meanwhile, up the street, Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara began receiving refugees with Zwartendijk's stamps, asking for transit visas through Japan. Sugihara contacted Tokyo for permission to issue the visas. Tokyo refused. He asked again. They refused again.
Sugihara issued the visas anyway.
The two men worked feverishly, in an unplanned, uncoordinated partnership. They had never met. They never spoke. But together, they created an escape route that no one had imagined possible: from Lithuania, by train across the Soviet Union on the Trans-Siberian Railway, to the port of Vladivostok, then by ship to Japan, and from there to freedom.
Sugihara actually phoned Zwartendijk, asking him to slow down. Zwartendijk was issuing visas faster than Sugihara could process the transit papers.
By August 1, 1940, Zwartendijk had reached visa number 2,200. Sugihara was still at around 700, but he would continue after Zwartendijk was forced to stop.
On August 3, the Soviets closed all foreign consulates in Kaunas.
Before he left, Zwartendijk burned all official papers, removing any trace of what he had done. He knew the Nazis might come looking.
In September 1940, he returned with his family to the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. For the next four years, he lived in fear that the Germans would discover his activities in Lithuania. He worked quietly at Philips headquarters in Eindhoven.
He never spoke of what he had done.
The refugees, meanwhile, were making their improbable journey. Between 2,100 and 2,200 arrived in Japan with Zwartendijk's visas. About half eventually reached the United States, Palestine, and other safe destinations. The remaining thousand were transferred by the Japanese to Shanghai, where they survived the war.
Not a single one ever reached Curaçao.
Ninety-five percent of the refugees who received Zwartendijk's visas survived the Holocaust.
But Zwartendijk did not know this.
For the rest of his life, he wondered what had happened to the people he had helped. He feared the worst. His son later recalled: "He must have thought that most of these people perished. He must have been worried that he sent them to their deaths."
The silence around his actions was total. The Dutch government learned of his activities in 1963 when a newspaper article appeared about the mysterious "Angel of Curaçao." Instead of honoring him, they reprimanded him.
In 1964, a senior Dutch official, Joseph Luns, who later became head of NATO, gave Zwartendijk a formal dressing-down for disobeying consular rules. Because of this intervention, Zwartendijk was denied the royal honors that his career at Philips should have earned him.
It broke something inside him.
His son recalled that after the reprimand, Zwartendijk became "a troubled figure." He had been optimistic and open-minded. Now he carried trauma. He still never spoke about what he had done.
Jan Zwartendijk died on September 14, 1976, in Eindhoven. He was eighty years old.
One week after his funeral, a letter arrived at his home from Rabbi Marvin Tokayer in Japan, containing detailed information about the 2,178 Jews who had reached Japan from Lithuania. The letter Zwartendijk had waited decades to receive came too late.
Recognition followed slowly. In 1997, Yad Vashem honored him as Righteous Among the Nations. In 2018, after Dutch author Jan Brokken published a book about the rescue, the Dutch government finally apologized to Zwartendijk's family, calling the 1964 reprimand "completely inappropriate."
In 2023, he was posthumously awarded the highest non-military honor in the Netherlands.
Today, a stunning monument stands in Kaunas. More than two thousand LED rods, representing the passports he stamped, spiral upward in a tower of light in front of the old Philips office.
When Zwartendijk's son was asked about his father's view of his own heroism, he recalled his father's words: "Ah, that's not very important. Everyone would have done those things if they had been in this position."
But that is not true. We know it is not true. In a world that turned its back on refugees, two men, one a radio salesman and one a Japanese diplomat, chose to act.
Steven Spielberg, upon learning Zwartendijk's story, told his son that had he known about it earlier, he would have filmed this story instead of Schindler's List.
Jan Zwartendijk saved more lives. He never profited. He never sought recognition. He spent his final years haunted by uncertainty, punished by his own government, and honored only by the silence of a secret he took nearly to his grave.
Everyone should know his name.

My Comment: I’ve written about the heroic Chiune Sugihara several times here on Quora. I had never heard of the other half of this amazing duo. Until now.

Jan Zwartendijk - Wikipedia
Dutch businessman and diplomat Jan Zwartendijk Zwartendijk in 1941 Born 29 July 1896 Died 14 September 1976 (1976-09-14) (aged 80) Occupations Businessman, diplomat Known for Helping Jews escape Lithuania during World War II Jan Zwartendijk (29 July 1896 – 14 September 1976) was a Dutch businessman and diplomat. As director of the Philips factories in Lithuania and part-time acting consul of the Dutch government-in-exile , he supervised the writing of 2,345 visas for Curaçao to save Jews from the Holocaust during World War II. In 1997, Yad Vashem recognised him as Righteous Among the Nations . Zwartendijk was born in Rotterdam . A visa from 1940 with Zwartendijk's signature In 1939, he was appointed director of the Lithuanian branch of production of Philips . When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, Ambassador de Decker wrote a declaration on Nathan Gutwirth 's and Pessie Lewin 's passport stating that entering Curaçao and Dependencies in the West Indies did not require a visa, while omitting the part about the standard phrase "permission of the Governor of Curaçao is required". It is not clear if Gutwirth or Lewin suggested the omission. The idea of Curaçao possibly came up in correspondence between Mrs. Lewin and de Decker. She originally asked for a visa to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Zwartendijk was authorized or instructed by his superior, Ambassador to Latvia L. P. J. de Decker, to issue the same modified text to Jews who wished to escape from Lithuania. As the word spread many Jews in Kaunas/Kovno Lithuania approached Zwartendijk to get a similar inscription in their passports so they can leave. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] With the help of aides, he produced over 2,000 passport inscriptions for Jews to Curaçao. Possibly Jews who had fled from German, Soviet Union occupied Poland also sought his assistance. Subsequently, refugees also approached Chiune Sugihara , a Japanese consul, who gave them a transit visa through Japan, against the disapproval of his government. This gave many refugees an opportunity to leave Lithuania for the Far East via the Trans-Siberian Railway . In the three weeks after 16 July 1940, Jan Zwartendijk, honorary Dutch consul, wrote 2,345 passport inscriptions to Curaçao and some of the Jews copied more. Many who helped only knew him as "Mr Philips Radio". When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania , they closed down his Philips office and the embassies and consulates in Kaunas on 3 August 1940. He returned to the occupied Netherlands to work in the Philips headquarters in Eindhoven until his retirement, and did not talk about the matter. Zwartendijk died in Eindhoven in 1976. In 1996, Boys Town Jerusalem , an orphanage and vocational training school in Jerusalem, honoured Zwartendijk at a tribute dinner in New York City and announced the establishment of the Jan Zwartendijk Award for Humanitarian Ethics and Values. [ 3 ] The award has since been bestowed on other Holocaust-era saviors, including President Manuel

Footnotes