Safe Haven Museum in Oswego, New York

I grew up seeing pictures of boats with Jewish refugees turned away from American ports.  Little did  I know that 982 refugees were settled at Fort Oswego in 1944.  






Safe Haven is dedicated to
this little known story of
World War II refugees.






During World War II many people were displaced.  Jews from all over Europe went to Italy, where their treatment was better than many other countries in Europe.  Refugees were selected in Southern Italy after the Allies had taken this section of Italy from the Germans.

They numbered 982.  Ninety percent were Jewish.  Ten percent were Catholic and Protestant.  Most came from Yugoslavia.  Each signed a pledge to return to their country of origin after the war.  They entered the United States as guests of President Roosevelt.

The refugees were housed in unused barracks at Fort Oswego.  

After thirty days of quarantine, residents of Oswego met the refugees.  

Eleanor Roosevelt had lobbied

for bringing refugees to the

United States.

She was warmly received

by the people relocated to 

Fort Oswego.

Learning English was a priority for these refugees.  Adults were given lessons in English, the trades, sewing, tailoring.  Children went to local schools.  Twenty-two children were born at Fort Oswego.

After World War II ended, the refugees were supposed to return to their countries of origin.  Because they were guests of President Roosevelt, they had no legal status in this country.  About 150 did return to Europe.  The rest were bused into Canada and reentered the United States as immigrants.

During our visit, Eric and I learned that many of these refugees went on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, worked in the space program, etc.

Our visit to Safe Haven was enlightening.   The story of 982 refugees plucked from Southern Italy and sent to upstate New York during World War II shows President Roosevelt's creativity in saving this small group of Jews.  

President Truman was given the seemingly unsolvable task of dealing with over 1,000 people with no status in the United States.   Sending the refugees and their children into Canada and allowing them to reenter the US from our neighbor to the north was a humane decision. This group of Jews flourished here and have given back much more than they were given.