Canadians Remember Doomed Passenger Ship

At the January 25 launch of a project commemorating the MS St. Louis in Ottawa, Rick Dykstra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration acknowledged “a grim incident in Canada’s not-too-distant past.”

Dykstra was referring to Canada’s refusal, back in 1939, to allow landing privileges to the St. Louis, a ship carrying 900 Jewish refugees, many of who eventually perished after being forced to return to Nazi Europe.

With a $100,000 grant by the Canadian Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration as part of the Community Historical Recognition Program, the commemorative project, developed by the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa, memorializes the ill-fated ship with a children’s book, So Near and Yet So Far Klara’s Voyage on the Ms. St. Louis, by Sarah Loewenthal, and a full wall mural by Jewish artist Michoel Muchnik.

Members of Parliament and community leaders were among the 200 who participated in the launch at the Ben Franklin in downtown Ottawa. With the unveiling of the project, Dykstra said, “we reaffirm our collective obligation never to forget what happened, and recommit ourselves to prevent anything like it from happening again.”

Herbert Karliner, a survivor of the MS St Louis, came in from Miami to share his recollections of the voyage. Prompted by moderator Laurence Wall, newscaster with CBC Radio Ottawa, about why so much effort to recall event that happened more than 70 years ago, Karliner maintained that it was crucial to educate the younger generations, so that such terrible tragedies would never be repeated.

Mr. Karliner recalled that the ship anchored just outside the American waters, where it waited desperately for permission to dock as passengers looked out hopefully to the shores of Miami from the boat. So near and yet so far was the despairing feeling of the passengers, and now the title of the children’s book, narrated from a child’s perspective.

As mandated by the grant, 1000 copies of the book, which drew strong interest at the event, will be distributed free of charge to schools and libraries, accompanied by a bilingual guidebook giving background on the MS St Louis, as well as questions for group discussion. Sara Loewenthal, the book’s author, read the story to the accompaniment of slides of Nicholas Jackson’s evocative illustrations.

Michoel Muchnik’s detailed multi-media wall sculptured mosaic of the ship, entitled “Turbulent Seas” was displayed in the lobby of the Ben Franklin Place. The mosaic, reflecing a child’s vision of hope and beauty, will be permanently exhibited at the Jewish Youth Library.

Mr. Dykstra recalled the heartless response of an unnamed immigration officer who said, “none is too many,” when asked how many of Europe’s Jews escaping Nazism the government was prepared to allow to immigrate to Canada. None is Too Many became the title of a book on the subject, and has become a major impetus behind the Canadian government’s determination to correct its attitude, which Canada has been doing successfully over the past many years.

Canada’s shore was one of many attempted destinations by the ship’s captain—including the U.S., Cuba and Nova Scotia. All refused to grant safe harbor to the passengers, forcing the captain to turn the ship back to Europe. Following difficult negotiations initiated by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the ship was allowed to dock in Antwerp, Belgium. Belgium, Holland, France, and the United Kingdom agreed to accept the refugees. By 1940, all of the passengers, except those who escaped to England, found themselves once again under Nazi rule.

Katherine Hobbs, Councillor of the Kitchisippi ward of the City of Ottawa, in which the Jewish Library is located, echoed Mr. Dykstra’s comments.

“This project is about remembering, but it is also about reflecting on our progress. Much has changed since 1939 when Canada closed the door – we have grown as a country and as a people. We are so lucky to be free, to practice any religion we are called to.”

Devora Caytak, co-founder of the Jewish Youth Library, described her passion and commitment to the project, and offered amusing insights to various stages in its development. The project, she noted, “will be the beginning of future collaboration among the Jewish communities across the country.”

Caytak credited the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Scheersohn, her guide and mentor, with teaching that the success of a project lies in its effects on society. The importance of learning about the Holocaust, she explained, is thus not whether people can ever understand it, but what people do about it, and “in increasing efforts to create a world of goodness and kindness.” That is the message of this project and the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa in general.

Ms. Hobbs confirmed the contribution of the Library to Ottawa’s community. “Places like the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa work to strengthen special traditions, while passing along stories, memories and lessons to children. This new project will serve to do just that. It will enrich the knowledge of young people and all residents through learning about a truly dark time in our history.”