OSWEGO – Historian Paul Lear presents an illustrated program in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The free event begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27 in the Riverview Room of G.S. Steamers Bar and Grill, 70 E. First St., Oswego.
The presentation features photographs, artwork, maps, plans and documents of the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter, which served as the only camp for Holocaust victims in the United States during World War II. It operated from Aug. 5, 1944, to Feb. 5, 1946, and housed nearly 1,000 mostly Jewish refugees from Europe.
Lear has selected a variety of images for the program, including some never seen before by the public. He will discuss how the images help us understand everyday life, administration, activities, operations, special events and the experiences of refugees.
The United Nations General Assembly designated Jan. 27, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day; a time to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.
The Oswego program is one of many observances taking place around the world in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
To learn more about historical significance of the WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Shelter, visit the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum at 22 Barbara Donahue Dr. in Oswego, go to www.safehaven.com or call 315-342-3003.
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