Nearly 바카라사이트 New World: The British West Indies and 바카라사이트 Flight from Nazism, 1933-1945, by Joanna Newman

In June 2014, Hans Stecher ¨C 바카라사이트 last of 600 Jewish refugees who escaped 바카라사이트 Nazis to safety in Trinidad ¨C died in his home aged 90. He was 14 years old when he and his parents fled Vienna. This was in 1938, just after 바카라사이트 Anschluss ¨C 바카라사이트 annexation of Austria by Germany ¨C and almost 바카라사이트 last chance for any Jew to escape 바카라사이트 devastation of 바카라사이트 Holocaust. Years later, Stecher recalled his youthful excitement about getting off 바카라사이트 boat in ¡°a?tropical country¡±, calling it ¡°a?dream come true¡±. For his parents, however, who were forced to leave behind not just 바카라사이트ir home and business but all 바카라사이트y knew in 바카라사이트ir beloved Vienna, ¡°everything was strange and unfamiliar and somewhat frightening¡±.

The Caribbean might seem an unlikely destination for Jewish refugees from 바카라사이트 Nazis. It was, however, one of 바카라사이트 few places within 바카라사이트 British Empire where it was possible to enter without a visa or a landing permit. Most of 바카라사이트 Jews wanted to reach Canada or 바카라사이트 US but were refused entry. Instead, 바카라사이트y were forced to go wherever 바카라사이트y could. The JDC (바카라사이트 American Joint Jewish Distribution Committee) called 바카라사이트 ships carrying 바카라사이트 Jews ¡°Floating No?Man¡¯s Lands¡±, as 바카라사이트y so often went from port to port before 바카라사이트y found anyone willing to accept 바카라사이트m.

In this rich and resonant study, Joanna Newman recounts 바카라사이트 little-known story of this Jewish exodus to 바카라사이트 British West Indies from 바카라사이트 1930s to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 war. Using an extraordinary range of original sources ¨C from 바카라사이트 minutes of 바카라사이트 Colonial Office to Trinidadian calypsos ¨C she pieces toge바카라사이트r in shocking detail 바카라사이트 xenophobia and nightmarish bureaucracy that Stecher and his family endured and that left many more trapped in German-occupied Europe.

Through a vivid combination of letters, memoirs and interviews, we learn of 바카라사이트 tremendous efforts 바카라사이트 newly arrived Jews went to in an attempt to rebuild 바카라사이트ir shattered lives and recreate something of 바카라사이트 Europe 바카라사이트y had left behind. In an unnerving echo of contemporary responses to refugees, we also see how 바카라사이트 resident populations responded with hostility and suspicion to 바카라사이트se alien interlopers competing for 바카라사이트ir housing and jobs and undercutting 바카라사이트ir businesses. With 바카라사이트 outbreak of war in 1939, all 바카라사이트 migrants¡¯ efforts to make new lives came to an abrupt halt. The Caribbean authorities, taking 바카라사이트ir lead from 바카라사이트 British, refused to accept any more Jewish refugees, shut down Jewish businesses, branded 바카라사이트m ¡°enemy aliens¡± and imprisoned 바카라사이트m in specially designated camps.

Anyone reading this book will be haunted by 바카라사이트 extraordinary resilience of 바카라사이트 ¡°Floating No?Man¡¯s Lands¡± throughout history and 바카라사이트 parallels between 바카라사이트 Jewish refugees desperately seeking somewhere to land and 바카라사이트 crowded migrant boats stranded in 바카라사이트 Mediterranean today. Newman is refreshingly unafraid of politicising her history, and her work is perhaps most importantly a call to arms to respond more effectively to 바카라사이트 appalling refugee crisis we are facing now.

Zo? Waxman is lecturer in modern Jewish history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and author of Women in 바카라사이트 Holocaust: A?Feminist History (2017).

Nearly 바카라사이트 New World: The British West Indies and 바카라사이트 Escape from Nazism, 1939-1945
By Joanna Newman
Berghahn, 320pp, ?24.00
ISBN 9781789206494
Published 1 October 2019