I read your article about Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein (“The Pioneering Rabbi,” fall 2013), whom I remember from my childhood.
When the Nazis invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940, my family was fortunate to be able to escape, traveling through France, Spain and Portugal and settling in Manhattan. My family had a sponsor in New York, who guaranteed financial support, if necessary.
Many Jews in Europe did not know anyone who could sponsor them. My late father, Abel Finkelstein, sponsored a number of refugees. However, there was a limit to the number the government permitted him to sponsor.
At my father’s suggestion, Rabbi Goldstein gave an impassioned sermon, asking his congregation to sponsor European refugees, thereby preventing them from being deported and enabling them to come to the United States.
Karin Feldhamer
New York, New York