Dermatologists with extraordinary life stories: Harvey S. Moser and the 1939 voyage of the St. Louis

Harvey S. Moser is a retired dermatologist who in 1939, at the age of 11 years, was a passenger with his family aboard the St. Louis , a German ship en route to Cuba that was carrying more than 900 Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. The passengers were denied entry to Cuba, the United States, and Canada, so the ship sailed back to Europe. Finally, Great Britain, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands agreed to admit the refugees. Unfortunately, 254 of the St. Louis passengers were later murdered by the Nazis after Germany conquered the latter three counties in 1940. This contribution tells the story of the Mosers' escape from Nazi Germany, their account of events aboard the St. Louis , and how the family ultimately reached the United States on the last boat to leave France in 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of that country.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.