On April 13, Drew University will mark this year’s day of Holocaust remembrance by retelling the story of the St. Louis, a German luxury liner that left Hamburg in 1939 only to find no safe port of call for its Jewish refugee passengers. A screening of the film “The Voyage of the St. Louis” will be followed by a talk by Fred Buff, an actual survivor of the sea vessel’s famous journey.
During its fateful 1939 voyage, the St. Louis was bound for Havana, Cuba, where the ship’s 937 German Jewish passengers had planned to immigrate to escape the impending Holocaust. However, when they arrived, the Cuban government barred their entry and sent them aimlessly back into open waters, where they would remain for 30 days without a port of call. Ultimately, the ship’s passengers were admitted to Holland, France, Belgium and England, which is where many of them would later perish in World War II.
The documentary “The Voyage of the St. Louis” features appearances by survivors who tell the ship’s story in their own words. The film also includes readings from the diary of the ship’s captain.
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The April 13 event, which is sponsored by Drew’s Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study, will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Drew’s Baldwin Gymnasium. This program is funded by donations made in memory of Peter A. Fried. For more information, please call 973/408-3600 or e-mail ctrholst@drew.edu or visit the Center’s website at www.drew.edu/chs.
