Having given most of your possessions and money to the government as required, you have very little left. Hopefully, there will be enough money to bribe the border guards and to pay for food, shelter, and transportation as you head south, having decided to use that southern land route. You travel from Hamburg to Munich and then across the Austrian border at Salzburg. You move mostly at night to avoid the attention of the police and army patrols.
The farther you get from Berlin, the easier your journey becomes. From Austria, you cross into Italy and make your way to the port city of Trieste, where the Jewish community has established a hostel, giving temporary shelter to fugitives from Germany. Sheltered for a while, you think about your situation and consider what direction to take.
A representative from the Jewish Agency for Palestine suggests that you join a group trying to get into Palestine. The trip will be illegal, and the British will try to stop you from landing. However, he tells you how important it is for young people to get into the Yishuv.
You also meet Rabbi Joseph Schwarz during services at the hostel. He and his wife are also fleeing Germany and have decided to go by sea to the Philippine Islands. He invites you to join them. He believes that there will be no persecution of Jews in this Asian land.
If you decide to become part of the Yishuv, continue to page 161
If you choose to go to the Philippines, continue to page 162.