The Book Club visited the Safe Haven Museum in Oswego on June 30. This excellent museum illustrates the saga of the 982 souls who were the only refugees allowed into our country during World War II.
The field trip was our follow-up to reading “Haven” by Ruth Gruber and “Holocaust Refugees in Oswego” by Ann Callaghan Allen, who joined us along with Oswego Rotarian and historian David Granoff. Much like the book club’s discussion earlier this year after reading the two books about refugees, the conversation at the Woodchuck Saloon where we dined centered on our country’s treatment of “the others,” of people perceived as a threat to our health and way of life. All agreed that the similarity to our present treatment of “the others” is striking.
Among the displays and artifacts was a cartoon by Dr. Seuss, who railed against fascists and their sympathizers in the USA. Closing the evening was a concert by Syracuse Orchestra in the magnificent Fort Ontario. All together, we represented Syracuse, Inner-City Syracuse, Ithaca, Chestertown and Oswego Rotary Clubs, reflecting the district-wide attraction of our growing book club.
