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80 years ago today, the US turned away the MS St. Louis, a ship full of German Jews escaping the Nazi regime.
Every person on the ship was sent back. 254 of them were murdered in the Holocaust.
Every person on the ship was sent back. 254 of them were murdered in the Holocaust.
That same year, in 1939, Congress voted down a bill to take in 20,000 Jewish refugee children.
Instead of welcoming refugees seeking asylum, the American government refused to accept them, claiming they would pose a security risk & put American citizens in danger.
Instead of welcoming refugees seeking asylum, the American government refused to accept them, claiming they would pose a security risk & put American citizens in danger.
The parallels to today are clear & horrifying. The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant, anti-refugee policies — detaining asylum seekers, separating children from families, banning Muslims, dehumanization — come from the same fear & hatred Jews on the St. Louis faced in 1939.
Turning away the St. Louis in 1939 was wrong.
Turning away refugees and detaining and deporting asylum seekers in 2019 is wrong too.
As Jews, we’ve seen this before. We refuse to let it happen now. Because never again means never again for everyone.
Turning away refugees and detaining and deporting asylum seekers in 2019 is wrong too.
As Jews, we’ve seen this before. We refuse to let it happen now. Because never again means never again for everyone.
