Dominican Republic honored as unsung heroe during Holocaust

September, 12 - 10:33 AM

New Yorl.- The TimesLedger website reported that borough officials here gathered at Queensborough Community College Sunday for the unveiling of a Holocaust exhibit honoring an unsung hero of World War II: the Dominican Republic.

TimesLedger.com reporter Stephen Stirling described how the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center at the college officially opened its new exhibit, "Sosua, Refuge from the Holocaust in the Tropics," which pays tribute to the compassion and generosity showed by the Caribbean nation during the war.

The article goes on to praise the Dominican Republic as one of the few countries to offer a safe haven for refugees fleeing persecution in Germany and Austria while opening its doors to 100,000 Jews desperately eager to leave the Nazi-controlled areas when other nations, including the United States, kept theirs shut.

Given the fierce fighting in Europe, accounts the TimeLedger, it was difficult for refugees to reach the island, and only about 700 were able to make it to the Dominican Republic, where they thrived in the coastal community of Sosua.

Sosua is a quaint Northern coast town in the Dominican Republic, with beautiful beach shores and elegant 5-star hotels and vacationing resorts. Well organized for business, numerous banks are represented in what is better known as the “Batey” portion of it. German and Jewish settlers here have established gourmet shops and eateries, and multiple residential projects are being undertaken by private firms here.

Queensborough Community College President Eduardo Marti said that the story of Sosua is an important one and should never be forgotten.

"The courage demonstrated by the people of the Dominican Republic during this difficult period of time should be applauded and recognized," he said.

For additional information on the Sosua exhibit, readers are welcome to call (718) 281-5770.