SHIP OF FOOLS

On June 4th, 1939, the German ocean liner St. Louis, carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees from Germany, was turned away from the Florida coast by U.S. officials. Known as the Ship of Fools, it had previously been turned away from New York and Canada. Cuba was the only country to agree to accept the refugees, but the US government, which had tremendous influence in Cuba at the time, told Cuba to rescind its offer, which it did. The ship was eventually forced to return to Germany where the refugees were sent to Auschwitz.