Sosua's Jewish roots in Holocaust intrigue Portlanders

By Deborah Moon Seldner

Over the past few years, some Portlanders have forged a link with the small Jewish community in Sosua, created after the Dominican Republic offered to open its doors to Jews fleeing the Nazis—the only nation to do so at the Evian Conference, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt convened in 1938 to address the growing refugee problem.
"During the nine-day meeting, delegate after delegate rose to express sympathy for the refugees," according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia on the Web site of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. "But most countries ? offered excuses for not letting in more refugees. Only the Dominican Republic agreed to accept additional refugees."
Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo agreed to accept 100,000 Jewish refugees. Between 1940 and 1945, 5,000 Dominican visas were issued, but fewer than 1,000 Jews actually made their way to the Caribbean nation that shares an island with Haiti.
In recent years, Portlanders heading to the island's tropical beaches have been excited to find the remnants of that community. The original immigrants created a successful dairy and in recent decades have flourished selling their land and operating hotels and resorts in the booming tourist economy.
About four and half years ago, Portlanders Art Tarlow and Allene Klass went to Sosua for a two-week vacation. Before they left, they had purchased a vacation home, where they now spend about half of each year.
They attributed their abrupt shift from tourists to part-time residents to "the overwhelming warmth of the Jewish community."
Though aware there was a small Jewish community is Sosua, the couple said they were unaware of its origins until they were shopping for amber, for which the Dominican Republic is a major source.
"The 'amber lady' (Edith Myerstein) was the daughter of an original settler," said Klass. "She introduced us to more people."
Tarlow said that after he expressed interest in the community's origin, Myerstein gave him an unpublished 136-page research paper by Hyman Kisch that detailed the community's origins and history.
The research paper discusses the low arrival rates, and Tarlow said many residents speculate on why so few actually came to Sosua.
"There are a lot of stories about why so few came," said Tarlow. "The most benign is that German interdiction with shipping prevented it. ? Another story is Zionists did not want ? 100,000 Jews building a successful Jewish community in the Dominican Republic ? (which) the U.N. might then declare the homeland of the Jewish people."
The research paper mentions the highly selective process by which refugees were chosen by a representative of the Dominican Republic Settlement Association. DORSA was created by the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. The group sent a representative to refugee camps to select potential immigrants capable of creating a successful farming community. Most of those selected were young men with farming experience.
"It's a huge secret," said Klass. "No one seems to know about the Sosua Jews."
The couple, along with two recent Portland visitors to the community—Ilene Safyan and Margie Rosenthal—are out to change that.
When Safyan and Rosenthal visited Sosua with their husbands earlier this year on a snorkeling and whale-watching trip, Klass and Tarlow introduced them to several members of Sosua's Jewish community. Since the small community has no rabbi, the Portland duo, who often help lead services at Havurah Shalom, were invited to lead services in the small synagogue that has served the community since its early years.
The Portland women were impressed by the warm response and by residents' willingness to share their stories of survival and the story of their community.
"This is a significant piece of history that has gone unnoticed and unheralded," said Safyan. "Dominican Republic's leader offered land and safe haven to 100,000 Jews when no other country would. For whatever reason he took that stand, these people are alive today because of him."
Rosenthal said that since Sosua is becoming a destination resort, she hopes more people will visit the "shul and little museum with a history of the settlement."
"There is a Jewish presence in the Dominican Republic and with some help it will continue to be there," said Safyan.
Klass and Tarlow said they would be happy to facilitate contacts with the Sosuan community. Tarlow said those interested in visiting with the community should contact him via e-mail at art.tarlow@tnslaw.net.
"There's never a dull moment (in Sosua)," said Tarlow. "And it's really fun for us to show the island to our friends from Portland, particularly when our Jewish friends come and there's the additional element of the Jewish community."
All four Portlanders described the original settlers' stories of their escape from the Nazis and their early years in the settlement as fascinating.
"It's European history come alive," said Tarlow, noting early settlers have told him of the their experiences in Dachau, on Kristallnacht, during the Anshluss when German troops marched into Austria, and being questioned and arrested by the SS.
"When you sit in the synagogue, you feel the history of the Jewish people," said Klass.
Tarlow added that the Sosua community was so enthralled by Safyan and Rosenthal, that they have issued a standing invitation to the two to come and lead services on a regular basis.
"If they were willing to do that, the community would pay," said Tarlow.
The two women said they are definitely interested in returning.
"I would love to have the opportunity to return to lead services," said Rosenthal. "The people there were warm and enthusiastic."
Safyan added, "Both Margie and I feel very honored that we were able to participate in Sosua's Shabbat services. For us, it was a chance to touch the past in a very real way and to be a part of this evolving Jewish community, 65 years into its island home. We're thrilled that they have invited us back and we'd be delighted to come. There are so many stories, so much history and so much to learn from the people who are there. I think I speak for Margie, as well, when I say that we left wishing we'd had more time to visit, teach and share.
"Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to do so in the year to come."