PDF Escape to Manila: FROM NAZI TYRANNY TO JAPANESE TERROR by Frank Ephraim in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Rare Refuge for Jews escaping Nazi tyrannyBy Abraham HoffmanHistorians have given considerable attention to the plight of Jews attempting to get out of Germany and Austria prior to World War II. The most famous instance is the refusal of the United States and Cuba to admit refugees on the S.S. Saint Louis. Some Jews found refuge in Shanghai; a small number were welcomed in the Dominican Republic; where Rafael Trujillo hoped to get some positive publicity (after he had endorsed a massacre of Haitians). He also thought that admitting white people would bolster his view that his country was a “European” nation rather than a country of mixed races. Although some work has been done on Jews who found refuge in the Philippines; the story is little known today; possibly because only about 1;300 Jewish refugees made it there prior to the United States entering World War II. Frank Ephraim; eight years old when his parents fled Germany for the Philippines; has written an important study of the Jews who went “from Nazi tyranny to Japanese terror.” His book is much more than a personal memoir. Its strength comes from his diligent research in telling the stories of many of the families who arrived in the Philippines before September 1939. The Jews who came to the Philippines were a rather special group. Earlier arrivals were sponsored by the Freider brothers who had major business interests in Manila; manufacturing cigars for a U.S. market. Later refugees arrived on their own; aided by a legal quirk that allowed them to obtain travel visas to the Philippines; a U.S. territory at the time; when the mainland United States had closed its doors to refugees. President Manuel Quezon; a friend of the Freiders; welcomed the arrival of the Jews and would have admitted many more; but the door slammed shut after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Ephraim relates how Jewish families came to the Philippines; mainly by ship; a few by such transport as the Trans-Siberian Railway. Once in Manila (where most of the Jews resided); the refugees faced the challenges of finding employment in a land with a limited economy. The Japanese takeover of the Philippines escalated the hardship—lack of food; Japanese misconceptions about the German Jews; Germany being an Axis ally. The tiny Jewish community managed to construct a synagogue (destroyed in the Battle of Manila); observe Jewish holidays; and even keep kosher. When the Americans drew closer to the Philippines in late 1944; the Japanese Naval Forces took control of defense and became very suspicious of the Jews; accusing some of spying; locking them in prison; and torturing them. Ephraim describes in graphic detail the Battle of Manila in February 1945; a month-long period of terror when the Japanese indiscriminately murdered civilian men; women; and children. An estimated hundred thousand Filipinos were killed. The Jewish community lost 67; including women and children; and a hundred more were seriously wounded. The small numbers don’t take away the fact that those who died were from a population of only 1;300. After the war the Jewish community in the Philippines essentially ended. Many came to the United States and rebuilt their lives. Some stayed in Manila; a few went to Europe. Ephraim prospered in the United States; serving for many years as the director of program evaluation for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Readers will find it difficult to put the book aside; its compelling narrative is both inspiring and heart-breaking.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Riveting storyBy CustomerEscape to Manila is the only history of the Jewish story in the Philippines that I know of. Many of these Jews eventually migrated to America; but some decided to stay and become Filipino citizens. It's an amazing story of survival amidst those odds. If you think the Japanese treated the Jews with kid gloves; this book corrects that misconception. Honest and heartrending; this book is an excellent addition to the historical tableau of the Jewish people.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Great History; even with errorsBy Robert HansenI have been collecting books of this genre - Manila during the Japanese occupation and subsequent liberation for a number of years and was pleased to add this to my collection. My mother's family was in Manila and like the author they suffered and struggled. To the reviewer who noted that he doesn't care since he doesn't know the people; I say "so what" -- I don't give his review any credibility. One does not read books of this genre and expect to know the people involved. However; as one reviewer has already pointed out; the author made the egregious error of referring to the "Jesuits" at DeLaSalle. My grandfather was president of the DeLaSalle Alumni Association in 1944-45; all of my Uncles attended DeLaSalle and were the author's classmates. To link Jesuits to De La Salle totally negates the credibility of the book in it's entirety to any De La Salle or Ateneo (the Jesuit School)alumni. I am giving it three stars because of the subject but this book should have been edited for accuracy before publication.