Great article. Thanks for sharing that. As horrible as the wars were, and the Holocaust, the resilience of the human spirit is simply astounding.
Of course, moving to T&T from Europe probably didn't hurt. Must have literally felt like paradise. On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 1:11 PM, Vivec <[email protected]> wrote: > > 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:370139 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
