Images Of The WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Sheltera

OSWEGO  – On January 27, 2025, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Historian Paul Lear will present a illustrated program featuring photographs, artwork, maps, plans, and documents of the WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter. The free program will begin at 7:00 PM in the Riverview Room at G.S. Steamers Bar and Grill, Clarion Inn, Oswego, NY.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated January 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.  Operating from August 5, 1944 to February 5, 1946, and housing nearly 1000 mostly Jewish refugees from Europe, the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter served as the only camp for Holocaust victims in the United States during WWII.

Lear has selected a variety of images for the program that includes 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 Oswego program is one of dozens of observances taking place around the world in memory of the millions of victims of the Holocaust on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  As we are witnessing an alarming rise of anti-Semitism around the globe, it is more important than ever for us to recognize the critical lessons of Holocaust history and commemorate the victims and honor the survivors.

To learn more about the history and historical significance of the WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Shelter visit the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum at 22 Barbara Donahue Drive in Oswego, NY, visit [www.safehaven.com], or call (315) 342-3003.

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