The Last Manilaners
Margot, Max & Lotte were just children when they underwent persecution for being Jews. To escape certain death, the three took a chance to liberation through the open-doors policy of then Philippine US Commonwealth president, Manuel L. Quezon. The three called the Philippines their home, together with 1,300 refugees from Hitler’s war against the Jews. However, challenges still came their way when the Philippine government fell under the Japanese occupation. With disorder and unrest in the Philippines, they leave again in order to rebuild their lives. They live to tell their tale of gratitude to the Filipino people as the last surviving Manilaners.
Season 1
4 episodes
- 1. EscapeWhen Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler staged a dangerous game, six million Jews suffered the consequences- racial discrimination, torture, and even death. Margot Pins-Kestenbaum and Lotte Cassel-Hershfield recount how their blissful lives turned into torment as the Nuremberg Laws progress in Germany in 1935, leaving the Jewish people with only two choices: to suffer and wait, or to escape. As the living survivors of Hitler's reign of terror, Margot and Lotte recall how the Philippines, under the leadership of then President Manuel L. Quezon, defied the odds and welcomed them when the whole world turned a blind eye on their agony.CC25minJan 27, 2020
- 2. InvadedIn an attempt to annihilate the Jews, the German government cultivated an act of extreme violence-burning down synagogues, and attacking Jewish schools, cemeteries, and stores- called Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass. Determined to get away from Hitler's clutches, Margot Pins-Kestenbaum and Max Weissler, together with their families, braved the seas in hopes of rebuilding their lives in the Philippines. Looking back on their journey, Margot and Max share their struggles fleeing to Manila and the joy they felt finding home in a foreign land- until the Japanese occupation in 1940.CC31minJan 27, 2020
- 3. WarDuring the Japanese occupation, Jewish refugees joined the fight and rallied alongside Filipinos and Americans. Unbeknowst to them, their families in Europe were facing a toxic battle with the mass-killing of Jews called Holocaust. Margot Pins-Kestenbaum, Lotte Cassel-Hershfield, and Max Weissler tell how their new home turned into a battleground when the Japanese troops infiltrated the shores of Manila, while their loved ones suffered terribly back in Germany.CC24minJan 27, 2020
- 4. GratitudeAs the Manilaners reminisce on their years of refuge in the Philippines, Margot Pins-Kestenbaum, Lotte Cassel-Hershfield, and Max Weissler express their deepest gratitude to the only country that opened its doors when everyone one else refused. The three Manilaners also talk about how the Filipino's compassion and hospitality gave them warmth after years of living with terror and agony, later creating a strong bond with the Jewish people especially in times of need.CC25minJan 27, 2020
The Last Manilaners
Margot, Max & Lotte were just children when they underwent persecution for being Jews. To escape certain death, the three took a chance to liberation through the open-doors policy of then Philippine US Commonwealth president, Manuel L. Quezon. The three called the Philippines their home, together with 1,300 refugees from Hitler’s war against the Jews. However, challenges still came their way when the Philippine government fell under the Japanese occupation. With disorder and unrest in the Philippines, they leave again in order to rebuild their lives. They live to tell their tale of gratitude to the Filipino people as the last surviving Manilaners.
Maturity rating
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Audio languages
English
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