The Shelter and the Fence by Herman H. Finkelstein

The Shelter and the Fence relates the heartening history of how nearly 1000 Jewish refugees found welcome in America during World War II.

The Shelter and the Fence: When 982 Holocaust Refugees Found Safe Haven in America by Norman H. Finkelstein. Chicago Review Press, 2021, 151 pages plus notes, index, and bibliography.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 9-12

“Causal Baggage”

The US Transport ship Henry Gibbins, docking in New York Harbor on August 4, 1944, was half full of wounded servicemen returning home. The other cargo, callously labeled as “US Army Causal Baggage,” was just as human: 982 refugees from Italy.

They were actually from all over Europe—some from prison camps but most having escaped that fate by friends who smuggled them out of danger who helped them make the dangerous trek across the Alps. Almost all were Jews, granted temporary refuge by the US government. They were ragged, haunted, hungry; the first view of the barbed wire surrounding new home at Fort Ontario, New York, caused some to panic, as it was so like a prison compound. But the citizens of nearby Oswego were ready to be hospitable.

A Story of Compassion

This is a story rarely told. We’ve heard how, in the early days of Nazi occupation and concentration camps, Jews who sought refuge in America were turned away. It might have been guilt or regret at their fate, but whatever the reason, the residents of Oswego went out of their way to greet their guests and provide pastimes, schooling, clothing—everything but work. It wasn’t perfect, but much preferable to prison camps.

The writing is more serviceable than sparkling, but the narrative is inherently interesting and easy to read. Plenty of photos accompany the text, as well as brief biographies of individual refugees and their subsequent careers. It’s sobering to think that they might not have had careers (or subsequent life) without this intervention on their behalf. War brings out our worst, but also our best, when people have the opportunity to show compassion.

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 3.75

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Alan Gratz’ Refugee includes a fictionalized account of Jews turned away from the US who eventually found refuge in Cuba. Nicky & Vera, by Peter Sís, relates the story of another rescuer of Holocaust victims.
• Resource: The Sidney Taylor Award is given by the American Library Association every year for books reflecting the Jewish experience. See our roundups of Sidney Taylor award for picture books and middle grade.

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