The St. Louis Blues (54" x 36")
Artist's Comment
On May 13, 1939, 930 Jews with legal landing permits left Hamburg on the German liner St. Louis for Havanna, Cuba. On arrival they were told to pay an additional bribe of $ 453.00 per person, or entry to Cuba would be denied. The destitute Jews begged the U.S. Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to save them. They were refused. So did the U.S. Department of State, by not permitting the refugees from Nazi terror to land in Florida. Returned to Europe some escaped extermination, others perished in one of the Nazi death camps.
In 1937 Rabbi Stephen Wise wrote to a New York congressman, who intended to introduce legislation to ease the restrictions on immigration:
"I wish I thought it were possible for this measure to be passed without repercussions upon the Jewish community in this country. I have every reason to believe, unfortunately, that any effort that is made at this time to waive the immigration laws will result in a serious accentuation of what we know to be a rising wave of anti-Semitic feeling in this country.
- Rafael Medoff, "The Deadening Silence", PP. 33-34 - Shapolski Publishers
Docent Guide
The Voyage of the S.S. St. Louis
The plight of German-Jewish refugees, persecuted at home and unwanted abroad, is illustrated by the voyage of the St. Louis On May 13, 1939, the SS St. Louis,a German ocean liner, left Hamburg with 930 Jewish refugees on board. The refugees' destination was Cuba, but before their arrival the Cuban government revoked their permission to land.
Manuel Benitez, Cuban Minister of Immigration, was a major player in the fate of the refugees since it was he who had signed their landing permits. Benitez maintained that President Bru of Cuba would back down since the St. Louis was allowed in the harbor. He wanted $250,000 in bribes so that he could try to amend his relations with Bru and rescind Decree 937 that discriminated against refugees. President Bru refused to listen to Benitez' requests. Though he no longer had access to Bru, he continued to espouse his assurance that Bru would back down. His confident attitude and slick talk convinced a number of influential people that the circumstances were not as serious as they seemed, thus action was not taken.
Before the St. Louis arrived in Havana, Martin Goldsmith, an agent of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, had repeatedly asked the Joint for additional funds to help the refugees already in Cuba and those about to arrive. The Joint refused. The local Jewish community donated to the Relief Committee but felt that the world should be helping. After the St. Louis arrived, the Joint began to realize the seriousness of the predicament. They would send two professionals to negotiate –and they arrived four days later. Lawrence Berenson, one of the negotiators, was approached by several men claiming affiliation with the Cuban government. The Cuban government wanted $500 per refugee (approximately $500,000 in total). The same amount as required for any refugee to obtain a visa to Cuba. Berenson didn't believe he would have to pay that much, with negotiations, he believed, it would only cost the Joint $125,000. These men insisted that $400,000 to $500,000 were needed to ensure the St. Louis passengers' return. Berenson believed that these men just wanted a cut in the profit by negotiating a higher price. Negotiations with the Cubans broke down. Appeals for temporary refuge in the USA failed.
The St. Louis was forced to return to Europe in June 1939. However, Great Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands agreed to accept the stranded refugees. After German forces occupied Western Europe in 1940, many St. Louis passengers and other Jewish refugees who had entered those countries were caught up in the "Final Solution," the Nazi plan to murder the Jews of Europe.
Sources: The Voyage of the S.S. St. Louis , The Tragedy of the S. S. St. Louis.
Hirschberger has seized on this theme as a good one for a visual pun. In music, "blues" refers to a negative mood, and The St. Louis Blues is one of the most famous melodies. The artist depicts three forlorn Jews in a toy boat, which cannot come out of the water on land. A dignitary, presumably a Cuban or American official, stands over them on an American flag with what appears to be a key in his hand. Part of the collage of the lower portion of the painting includes articles from newspapers, as the story was well covered. Above are notes from the St. Louis Blues.