The Safe Haven Story1 2 3 4
This small band of 982 had no legal right to be in America - except for President Roosevelt's invitation. He promised Congress that they would go back home when the war was over. In fact, the refugees had to sign a document to that effect.
It took the group two weeks to cross the ocean, fighting limited space conditions, seasickness, and extreme heat. It was not a pleasant trip. Refugee Eva Kaufmann Dye remembers, "It was very cramped quarters on the ship. It was made for American soldiers, with bunks that slept two and two and two, which is six stacked on top of each other. The other half of the ship was full of wounded soldiers. It was beastly hot."
But spirits lifted as the ship pulled into New York harbor, and cheers greeted the sight of the Statue of Liberty. Said Ivo Lederer, "If you're coming from war-time, war-damaged Europe to see this enormous sight, lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty - I don't think there was a dry eye on deck." |
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