August 18, 1944
Harold James, Esq.,
Acting Director,
Emergency Refugee Shelter,
Oswego, New York.
Dear Mr. James:
I wish to take this opportunity to extend to you, in behalf the Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, Inc., our grateful appreciation of the cordiality and cooperation you showed to our representatives upon their visit on Wednesday last, when they discussed with you the educational problems of the refugees.
The report of our representatives Rabbi M. A. Hodakov, Rabbi A. Kasarnovsky and Dr. N. J. Mindel, speaks very highly of your keen sense of responsibility and devotion to your task, which has been lauded by the members of the Advisory Councils with whom they talked.
We are glad to state that the preliminary discussions have proved very satisfactory, and will, with G-d’s help, bring good results in the cause of the spiritual welfare of the Refugees. We trust that we will have your cooperation also in the future, and wish to assure you of our grateful appreciation.
With all good wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Mendel Schneerson,
Chairman, Executive Committee
RMS: AZ
Notes and sources
The above letter is sourced from a collection of secretarial carbon copies, many of which bear archival markings in the Rebbe’s handwriting. This letter was sent on the stationery of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch.
The Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter, also known as "Safe Haven", located in Oswego, New York was the first and only refugee center established in the United States during World War II. The Shelter was established on June 12, 1944, by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was operated by the War Relocation Authority. In August 1944, the shelter received 982 predominantly Jewish refugees, many of them liberated from Nazi camps.
Immediately upon their arrival, the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe began to look for ways to assist the refugees. Rabbi Yehuda Leib Pozner recounts that while in Buffalo he received a late-night phone call from Rabbi Hodakov informing him that 1000 refugees had just arrived in Oswego, and requested that he travel there to assess the situation (he met with R’ Moshe Tzechoval).*
On the 22nd of Av, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote several letters to the Refugees as well as the administrators of the camp. A few days later, on the 27th of Av, a Chabad delegation was sent to Oswego and met with several people including Mr. Harold James - the camp administrator as well as Rabbi Tzechoval.
Below are two letters written by the Rebbe as a follow-up to the visit.
* Rabbi Moshe Chechoval, was very close to Chabad and even considered himself a Chabad Chossid of sorts, and began corresponding with the Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe about the situation in the Camp.
Source: Secretarial Carbon Copy
Published: Rebbe Responsa Exclusive
Aid for Refugees (1)