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Before the War
The Holocaust
Liberation
Displaced Persons Camps
Where Can We Go?
The Journey
Welcome to Canada
New Lives
Canadian Immigration Overview
Many of the displaced persons hoped to rebuild their lives in Palestine, but were prevented from doing so by the British blockade. Others were anxious to leave Europe and hoped to go as far away as possible. Canada, the United States, England and Australia were among the most desired destinations.

During the war, the Canadian Jewish community had tried, with little success, to convince the Canadian government to admit Jewish refugees. After the war, Canada was one of the first countries to cautiously open its doors. Of the 65,000 refugees that Canada admitted from 1945 to 1948, only 8,000 were Jews.     more... »
British Blockade
In May 1939 Britain restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine in order to gain the support of the Arab states in the war against Germany. Britain blocked the attempts of Jews who tried to illegally immigrate. This conflict did not end until the founding of Israel in 1948.
Displaced Persons
Dislocated, stateless Jews and others, whose homes were destroyed or occupied by strangers or who feared reprisals or annihilation if they returned to their pre-war communities. In 1945, there were between 1.5 million and 2 million displaced persons; this figure included 200,000 Jews, most from Eastern Europe.