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With Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian,
Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
N.Y.K. Lines
MV
Hikawa Maru
--Family Schlesinger arrives in Seattle escaping from the Nazis --
Postcard
of the Hikawa Muru
Author’s
private collection
It has been well
recorded that the Hikawa Maru and other N.Y.K. passenger ships were heavily
involved in assisting German and other European Jewish refugees escape from
Nazi Germany and thus the Holocaust. There were those who escaped via Japan and sailed to the United States
as is recorded in a book entitled; “Refugee and Survivor, Rescue Attempts
during the Holocaust.”
The author is
most grateful to Rebecca Roush of Seattle WA for sending this item in relation to her family who
came to the USA
on the Hikawa Maru in the most of auspicious circumstances.
My cousin Ernst
(Ernie) and his parents the Schlesinger family escaped Nazi Germany and sailed
on the Hikawa Maru from Japan
to Seattle.
Below is a copy of “The Seattle Sunday Times” article regarding
their arrival, dated August 4, 1940.
Sadly Ernie
passed away a few years ago, but he did come to Seattle for the 50th anniversary of their
arrival in 1990 to remember and celebrate with some of the other passengers who
were on this memorable voyage and were still alive at that time.
The Seattle Times
article shown above was kindly sent by Rebecca Roush and we are most grateful
to her, for now we can all share in this story of her family and the
ship’s and N.Y.K’s wonderful work done rescuing Jews from the
impending doom that awaited so many, as it did my family in the Netherlands at
that time!
This
fine ship is seen her towards the end of her sailing days
Author’s
private collection
Hikawa Maru INDEX:
Page One: Hikawa
Maru main / history page
Page Two: The Schlesinger family escapes Nazi
Germany
Page
Three: Photo page one
Page Four: Photo page
– online in the near future
**************************************************
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Who is the
Author of ssMaritime?
Commenced in the passenger Shipping Industry
in May 1960
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos
Story
Also visit my …
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Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author
or from the author’s private collection. In
addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies
and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors.
However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding
the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images
would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found
on www.ssmaritime.com only), in
order that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a
multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet these individuals either
refuse to provide credit or remove them when asked, knowing full well that
there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show these
charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit
is due!
This
notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
ssMaritime is owned and © Copyright by Reuben Goossens - All
Rights Reserved