Sosua - A Refuge for Jews in the Dominican Republic

CFA123

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For anyone in the New York area, you might want to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage to see their exhibit on the immigration of Jews from Germany back in 1940. Exhibit runs Feb 17 - Jul 25th, 2008. http://www.mjhnyc.org/final/index.htm

and an article in the Wall Street Journal
Strange Migration: An Unlikely Haven For Refugees - WSJ.com

"The story of this strange migration is being told at New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage. "Sos?a: A Refuge for Jews in the Dominican Republic" ... presents the fascinating and little-known tale of the Jews saved from the Holocaust by a genocidal Caribbean dictator."
 

CFA123

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Some images of the 1940's in Sosua from the exhibition...

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CFA123

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"In one group photograph in the exhibit, young people on a ship that is taking them away from their families but also away from Hitler smile with delight. An equally telling photograph shows some settlers on the day after their arrival in Sos?a: Young men and women stand looking around with dumbfounded expressions on their faces; the women are wearing high heels and carrying handbags -- hardly farm-appropriate gear. Their new predicament is aptly summed up in a quotation from refugee Walter Allison that appears between the pictures: "I could repair shoes, but I didn't know how tomatoes grow." Another refugee, Edith Gersten, humorously recounts a priceless Alice-in-Wonderland moment: "We stared at the cow. What happened next? Does one get hold of the tail and pump until somehow the milk comes out?"

Must be a fascinating exhibit.
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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For those who may not know, there is a permanent museum next to the Synagogue in Sosua detaling the settlement here.
 

sbsuib

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Services in the DR

Are there services now in Sosua or Santiago regularly?
Thanks
Stevi
 

sbsuib

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services

is it possible to find out when services are in July in Sosua? or when they are in Santo domingo? thanks
 

2LeftFeet

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I went to this exhibit today in NYC. It was good. Small but interesting. In 1941 there were 63 single men in the colony to 12 single women. I don't remember how many married couples there were but they said that there were a lot of affairs.

After the war was over some of the jews left and went to the US. One person stay and continued working his farm until he died.

People were given 10 cows if they were single. If they had a wife they got an extra one. If they had a child they got one more.

The refugees made cheese and sold it around the DR as well as the milk.

One of the men married a Dominicana.

I bought the book.

Are any of the buildings still standing? What happened to the farms? Were they sold off or are they still there too?
 

2LeftFeet

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I can't answer your question but I can tell you that it's leaving in July.
Is it on loan from the museum in Sosua? Since there is a museum in Sosua there must be something there in regards to this exhibit. That's why they exist. Unless they've closed so this exhibit can come to NYC. If they didn't close they probably have other things there in regards to this subject or it could be the same exhibit just duplicate photos.

It's not that big of an exhibit. I wish that it had more information. I guess that's what the book is for.
 

tflea

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Jun 11, 2006
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Sosua Museum

The Sosua museum has all the fotos shown here and many, many more. They've documented Sosua life from the early days very well.
 

2LeftFeet

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Tflea have you been to the exhibit? What happened to the farms? I'm assuming that they are no longer? Are any of the refugees, now citizens still there? The exhibit doesn't talk about it.
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Talvez.....

If memory serves me right....Didn't Trujillo promised to take 100,000 Jews and ended up going against his own words and taking only 5-600?.
 

2LeftFeet

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He took about 700. Supposedly it had to do with Visas. I shall read the book and find out. He wanted more single men to come than married men. Hmm wonder why??? I don't think his plan worked out.
 

Tamborista

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Apr 4, 2005
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Tflea have you been to the exhibit? What happened to the farms? I'm assuming that they are no longer? Are any of the refugees, now citizens still there? The exhibit doesn't talk about it.

Productos Sosua was sold to Sigma Alimentos, a Mexican company in 2004. Mr. Luis Hess will celebrate his 100th birthday this year in Sosua. Several children of the original Sosua settlers are still living on the north Coast.

t'
 

tflea

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Visited

2LeftFeet - yes, a couple of times and find it interesting to see pictures of the 40's of adults who are now very much present in Sosua life, many of whom still own large swaths of land around the area. Some of that land is still used for fincas producing mostly milk and some cattle and other livestock. The museum sometimes brings students from NY to work on their archives, which serves as an internship of sorts for the students. I don't know who arranges that.
 

leehall

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Oct 24, 2006
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A lot of the farms were purchased out of 'Dorsa' (the forerunner to Producto Sosua) by the farmers themselves. A few of them have turned in to communities such as La Mulata, Perla Marina, Sea Horse, Haciendas el Choco, Lomas Miranos etc..

Other farms remain as farms / marked development land. Most of the land between Sosua to Costa Azul were all part of the 'Dorsa' company at some stage stretching back in to the hills about 3-4km.
 

2LeftFeet

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I wish that the exhibit had all this info especially about Luis Hess turning 100. Great info.

I'm going to go back again and see it again.
 

2LeftFeet

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The woman who wrote the book that accompany's the exhibit is speaking about her book and the Jews in the DR on April 23 in NYC . I have the location if anyone is interested. I know that I want to go.