Img. ID: 568421

Stone 206

STRUMA 

THE DEPORTATION OF JEWS TO TRANSNISTRIA BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER
1941 AND CONTINUED INTO EARLY OCTOBER 1942. IN DECEMBER 1941
769 JEWS SEEKING ASYLUM BOARDED THE STRUMA, AN OLD 56-FOOT
CATTLE BOAT IN CONSTANZA, ROMANIA. THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION
WAS PALESTINE, WHICH THEY HOPED TO ENTER BY WAY OF ISTANBUL. 

WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, THE STRUMA MANAGED TO ARRIVE IN THE
PORT OF ISTANBUL. FOR TEN WEEKS THE PASSENGERS WERE CONFINED
TO THE BOAT DENIED ENTRY BY THE TURKS WHO REFUSED TO PLACE
THEM IN A TRANSIT CAMP UNTIL THE JOURNEY COULD BE RESUMED. 

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER HAROLD MACMICHAEL OPPOSED GRANTING
IMMIGRATION VISAS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE TRIP DESPITE
THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE’S APPEAL THAT THE GROUP BE
DEDUCTED FROM THE MAY 1939 WHITE PAPER QUOTAS, WHICH GREATLY
LIMITED THE ENTRY OF JEWS TO PALESTINE. TURKISH POLICE TOWED
THE STRUMA OUT TO SEA, THOUGH IT CARRIED NO FUEL, FOOD, OR
WATER. WITHIN A FEW HOURS THE BOAT SANK. STRUCK IN APPARENT
ERROR BY A SOVIET SUBMARINE TORPEDO ONLY ONE PASSENGER DAVID
STOLIAR SWAM TO SAFETY.