The Voyage of the St. Louis Revisited

The story of the St. Louis, as that narrative has evolved over the decades, often includes as much myth as it does history. Focusing on American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee negotiator Lawrence Berenson, the author brings to light the often overlooked influence of key actors’ attitudes and demeanor on the episode’s outcome. He then traces the diplomatic exchange that followed the failure of negotiations to land the St. Louis passengers in Cuba. In conclusion, he calls for the St. Louis crisis to be read in a way that takes into account the United States’ domestic and international political context at the time.