St. Louis, refugees

The JDC produced this film to record what it thought would be a successful effort to save over 900 Jews, including 200 children, by sailing them from Nazi Germany to Cuba on the ship the St. Louis in 1939. When Cuba refused to allow the passengers to land, the ship sailed to the Miami area where the U.S. government also barred the refugees' entrance. The St. Louis languished in the waters around Cuba while the JDC searched for countries to accept the refugees. Finally, some European countries accepted the refugees and the St. Louis returned to Europe. Tragically, many of the refugees ended up in countries subsequently occupied by Germany. This short documentary tells the story of this ship's journey through newsreel footage from the time of the voyage.