Interesting article about the Sosua Jews

[dv8]

i think it's closed around midday (lunch time) and reopens later. it would be nice to have the cemetery open and available to public but alas, it's shut. one could, hypothetically, climb the wall which is slightly lower to the left of the gate so that a relatively fit person could easily get in, even if wearing a dress.

 

[Milo Mitt]

Many years ago I had several women from Sosua in my History class in the UCMM (now PUCMM) extension in POP. One of them was Judith and the other I can't remember. Judith was a typical blue haired lady with a vitality that defied description.

One day I happen to mention the wonderful series of history books published by Will Durrant and his wife Ariel. Within two weeks she had had them Fedexed down to her from NYC and was devouring them!. The other woman told me how she had walked across Russia and China and embarked from Shanghai to get to the DR.

I certainly knew Mr Hess and of course most of the families still there in 1962...

Most of the children went to New York, but a few stayed here and prospered. Abelito Wachsman and his wife are both descendants. He is a VP of León Jimenes, I believe. Henry Krause lives in Santiago and dabbles in food service, but his passion is the FIA Formula 1 circuit where he is an International Steward and travels the world as an FIA race steward. I have not talked to Kurt Wellisch in Sosua in years, but he is certainly one of those farmer getting screwed by the Mexicans. An old Peace Corps buddy, who served in POP, married the daughter of one of the families, Anita, and they are living happily in Costa Rica now. Anita was one of the first persons to try and teach English on and through the use of television. It was a long time ago..

I will probably begin a boycott of Productos Sosúa...***k 'em!

Cordially,

HB

Thanks for sharing HB

 

[Gabriela]

Huh? Please"facts"

Frank, the first part of your statement is not really correct. The original Jewish settlers of Sosua were trained in farming, particularly dairy farming by instructors who came from the kibbutz movements in Israel prior to and after the establishment of that state. More recently Jewish agricultural experts from Israel have assisted DR farmers and the various growers' organisations with innovations in fruit, vegetable, cereal and other branches of food production, harvesting, packaging and marketing. The State of Israel was for many years a major player in all aspects of agriculture and today is one of the leaders in agricultural development and technology, particulalry irrigation and water management in arid regions.

My family arrived in 1939, and their experience confirmed what Frank said--urban Jews who got the hell out of Sosua asap. It's odd too, that Israel would encourage the development of a colony that was set up to provide an alternative to Zionism. (Source: personal correspondence of Maurice Hector and Bruno Philipp).

 

[Bryanell]

My family arrived in 1939, and their experience confirmed what Frank said--urban Jews who got the hell out of Sosua asap. It's odd too, that Israel would encourage the development of a colony that was set up to provide an alternative to Zionism. (Source: personal correspondence of Maurice Hector and Bruno Philipp).

Gabriela, the agricultural instructors from the kibbutz movements were recruited. financed and imported by the Dominican Republic Settlement Association (DORSA) a subdivision of the Joint Distribution Committee, so there was no Israeli encouragement, as there was no state of Israel at that time.

The Sosua community was not set up to provide an alternative to Zionism, but it was the only option for organised Jewish resettlement immediately after the Evian Conference, as no other nations would accept the refugees and the ruling British certainly did not encourage Jewish immigration into their mandated territory that was to become the state of Israel only some 10 years later.

 

[Gabriela]

Gabriela, the agricultural instructors from the kibbutz movements were recruited. financed and imported by the Dominican Republic Settlement Association (DORSA) a subdivision of the Joint Distribution Committee, so there was no Israeli encouragement, as there was no state of Israel at that time.

The Sosua community was not set up to provide an alternative to Zionism, but it was the only option for organised Jewish resettlement immediately after the Evian Conference, as no other nations would accept the refugees and the ruling British certainly did not encourage Jewish immigration into their mandated territory that was to become the state of Israel only some 10 years later.

If you research Maurice Hexter's connection with DORSA, Evian and FDR Jr., you will learn that he was specifically instructed to start Sosua, with Trujillo, as a non-Zionist alternative to Israel. I have all the DORSA records, and have researched Hexter's relationship with FDR and their concerns about Jews going to Israel in the face of British opposition.