OSHER 928 - Holocaust Destination: Ecuador

When Hitler and the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s, it became evident to Jews across Europe that their civil and religious rights would soon be in serious peril. About 5,000 Jews ended up in Ecuador as their haven in the storm. Many of them thrived and made lives there, even though they could leave once WWII ended. Even American Jews were unaware of this tiny Jewish community and its many contributions to their adopted county. Doris Rubenstein was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador from 1971–73 and was fascinated to learn about this outpost of Jews.