Sosúa: A Dominican town that saved lives from the Holocaust

The program Migrantes , hosted by journalist Millizen Uribe and broadcast on Telesistema Channel 11 , was the stage for several descendants of Jewish refugees in Sosúa , who shared moving testimonies about the legacy of their grandparents, who came to the Dominican Republic fleeing the Nazi genocide in the mid-20th century.

“The heat made many people sick,” said Julli Wellich Miller , recalling the harsh weather conditions faced by the newcomers, who were accustomed to European climates.

Miller stands out among the stories. Her grandmother was part of the first group of refugees to arrive in Sosúa in 1940 , and although she managed to adapt to the language and environment, she carried the pain of having lost several relatives in the Holocaust.

“My grandmother preferred not to talk much because her siblings died in the Holocaust,” Miller said, also highlighting her grandmother’s resilience and the importance of faith: “The Jewish religion has a tradition that can be carried from home.”

Another shocking testimony was that of Eric Czarlinski , who shared his father’s experience:

“My father was taken from his home. It’s worse than what you see in the movie,” he said, referring to the brutality of the Nazi regime.

Czarlinski also spoke about his religious identity: “I had a mix of Jewish and Catholic beliefs until I came to live in the capital. It’s very difficult to follow that tradition,” he acknowledged.

Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic genocide perpetrated by the Nazi regime in Germany and its collaborators during World War II , with the aim of exterminating the Jewish people of Europe . This process is also known as the Shoah , which in Hebrew means “catastrophe” or “destruction.”