Joseph and Lotte Isenberg were desperate to escape the Nazis when they agreed to become farmers in the Caribbean, leaving the comforts of Luxembourg behind.


 Photo: USHMM, courtesy of Jeanette Isenberg Bersh

The Jewish couple found refuge in the Dominican Republic as a result of the Evian Conference, which began #OnThisDay in 1938.

The Evian Conference hoped to address the growing refugee problem in Nazi-controlled Europe. However, of the 32 countries in attendance, only the Dominican Republic agreed to expand immigration quotas to accept more Jewish refugees.

The country welcomed 645 Jewish refugees, but the offer had not solely been a humanitarian one... Continue reading 

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