Here's the actual story. I never knew Stecher's was founded by Jews, or that there was a section of one of our more popular cemeteries.
Very , very interesting history here. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05-15/stecher-nazi-escapee-dies "Germans and Austrians were considered the enemy by the British and with suspicions abounding of international Nazi spy networks, British-ruled T&T took no chances. They locked up anybody who held those passports, regardless of the fact that they were Jewish refugees. Back home, some of Stecherâs extended family became victims of the Holocaust. In 1945 he founded the Stechers jewelry store of which there are now ten branches nationwide. He also was noted for being the longest-standing member of the Rotary Club of T&T, having joined in 1957. A death notice in the T&T Guardian said he was president of T&Tâs Jewish Society. His funeral takes place today from 9.30 am at Lions Civic Centre, Port-of-Spain. He will be buried at the Bet Olam Jewish section of Mucurapo cemetery at 2.30 pm, alongside his parents, wife and aunt." "Life-long friend Jean-Paul Simonet described Stecher as âa man who was passionate about life and travel, had a wealth of knowledge and loved to share. He was wise, kind, a great leader and a loyal friend. A true renaissance man.â Nicholas Jagdeo, a young member of Trinidadâs Jewish community, described Stecher on Facebook as a âpatriarch of the Jewish community who inculcated within me a love for Trinidadian Jewry and showed me the importance of fighting to keep our tiny community together.â" The community apparently now numbers just 50. ᧠On 9 May 2014 11:26, Jerry Milo Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > During the 1930s, many Jews fled to Trinidad from Europe escaping Nazi > persecution. These new immigrants found housing rented by a Jewish aid > society in the capital, Port of Spain. By 1939, the Jewish community had > soared to 600 people. These Jews began to call themselves âCalypso Shtetlâ > or âThe Calypso Jews,â creating a distinct cultural and religious life in > Trinidad. It was during this time that the first synagogue was erected on > Duke Street in Port of Spain. Also, a separate section of the Mucuapo > Cemetery was reserved for Jewish burials, called Bet Olam. Today, the > cemetery upkeep is maintained by Hans Stecher, one of the few remaining > Jews in the country. > > During World War II, many of the Jewish families were interned in camps, > considered as new âenemy aliens.â In 1943, the Jews were freed but with > certain wartime restrictions. In opposition, much of the Jewish community > chose to emigrate from Trinidad > > > On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 11:22 AM, Jerry Milo Johnson <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > Does the little island have a name? > > > > > > On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 11:12 AM, Vivec <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > >> There is an island off the coast of Trinidad where several went at > first, > >> as well as an area around a park where they settled. That area now > houses > >> the German Ambassador's house/ German embassy not sure. Have not found > any > >> information about where their ancestors were, how many of them etc. but > it > >> seemed to be a significant number. > >> > >> It's amazing that this tiny island seems to have been involved in just > >> about everything, often very quietly and under the radar. Everyone seems > >> to > >> have a presence here, and simply don't say anything about it. > >> > >> I learnt as well that there is almost a whole peninsula that is "owned" > by > >> the US since the war. They ship military equipment there, who knows > >> what...and no one says anything. We have no idea how many there are, > what > >> they are doing...no one knows. :-\ > >> > >> Actually an online resource says there are 7. > >> 7 US military personnel stationed in Trinidad. 6 Marines and 1 Navy. > >> http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/04/us/table.military.troops/ > >> LOL! :-) > >> > >> *nervous chuckle* > >> > >> But I've SEEN things!! Big Hummvees on the highway > transporting...STUFF!! > >> HONEST!!! > >> > >> 0_0 > >> > >> > >> ᧠> >> > >> > >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:370120 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
