Mission

          The goals for my Dan Leslie Bowden Fellowship in the Humanities project included memorializing the experiences of the Cuban Jews who immigrated to this country as part of Operation Peter Pan, highlighting the humanitarian efforts that enabled people to live well in a free country, and emphasizing the success of the covert mission that resulted from people recognizing their responsibility to help those in need.

 

          In my project, I look into why these Jews received assistance through a Catholic organization and were not unfairly treated. Religion had no bearing on whether or not they were saved; they were helped just because they were human. This justification has led to the development of many relationships that, without the Operation, would not have existed, and has helped to forge the Cuban Jewish community in Miami. Through interviews with persons who represent different perspectives on Operation Peter Pan, I gained insight into the journey and determination displayed by the Cuban Jews and those who rescued them at a significant moment in history.

 

          Operation Peter Pan brought five of the people I spoke with to the United States, all of whom are Jewish. Two of the individuals were involved in facilitation, and one of them is a professor knowledgeable in this period of Cuban history. I posed both general and specific questions to them to gain a better understanding of how the Peter Pan experience affected people's way of life. I was particularly interested in learning how their experiences influenced the individuals they became. I also wanted to know, more specifically, how it felt to be a Jew being brought over by a Catholic organization and if discrimination had ever been an issue.

 

          With the funds I was awarded to complete my fellowship, I was able to purchase never-before-seen records about my grandfather’s journey from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and equipment to record my interviews. I also had the pleasure of spending a day learning about Operation Peter Pan at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora. 

 

          The compassion demonstrated by those who worked tirelessly to make this flight to freedom succeed is reflected in my project. Immigration has an impact on a nation's social and economic development. Immigrants have a huge influence on society simply by coming to the United States and sharing their stories, customs, traditions and talents. The connections people formed during Operation Peter Pan illustrate what it means to be human. It is the touching and inspiring story of one individual helping another in a time of need.