Jewish Refugees US History Dear Abby How to teach our children about the Holocaust Wait until the children are old enough to understand the massacres of six million Jews And tell our children about the fact that the whole world was silent ID: 765412
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Jewish Refugees US History
“Dear Abby” How to teach our children about the Holocaust? “Wait until the children are old enough to understand the massacres of six million Jews……. And tell our children about the fact that the whole world was silent.”
What is Anti-Semitism ? hostility to or prejudice against Jews.
Write this down Hitler came to power in 1933 Jewish population in the US was 4.5 million 1933 - Samuel Dickenson created a plan to admit all German Jews related to Jewish-Americans into the country
Write this down Plan was refused by the American Jewish Congress Rabbi Stephen Wise – President of the Congress “Jews in this country should be loyal Americans” “Americans first, last, and all the time”
Why? The United States was Anti-Semitic
Write this down 1938 – Kristallnaccht (“night of broken glass”) Herschel Grynszpan , a 17 year old Jew, shot and killed a member of the German staff In retaliation, Hitler created a “rise in bloody vengeance against the Jews”
Write this down “members of the SS and Hitler Youth beat and murdered Jews, broke into and wrecked Jewish homes, and brutalized Jewish women and children” 91 Jews killed 3 0,000 arrested and sent to concentration camps
Did the US know what was happening?
Write this down FDR was asked to transfer victims of Kristallnacht to the United States “I have given great thought to that……and the time is not ripe for that.” 77 percent of Americans opposed Jewish immigration to the United States
Write this down Wagner-Rodgers Bill – 1939 A bill created to allow 20,000 refugee children from Germany to be allowed in the United States over 2 years Private money – no public money
Write this down Eleanor Roosevelt “I really want to approve passage of the Child Refugee Bill” FDR responds, “It is alright for you to support bill……..”
Write this down After coming home from vacation FDR was asked to sign the Child Refugee Bill “File, no action. FDR” 66% of Americans did not support taking Jewish children
Write this down 1939 – 907 German Jewish refugees rescued themselves May 13 th - Boarded the steamship St. Louis and sailed from Germany to Cuba Cuba refused them – tore up their visas
Write this down “Saddest ship afloat in the world” Circled between Florida and Cuba waiting for help
Letter published to the world….. “We appeal to the world Jewry. We are being sent back. How can you be so peaceful? How can you be silent? HELP! Do everything you can! Some on the ship have committed suicide. HELP! Do not allow the ship to go back to Germany!
Write this down The passengers on the boat telegraphed FDR asking for help He ignored them June 6 th - Every passenger was forced to go back to Europe and they were captured by Nazi soldiers
Write this down September 1939 – Germany invaded Poland Started to implement the “Final Solution in Europe” Americans doubted the “Final Solution” was real – Myth Americans did nothing…..
Write this down Riegner Report, August 1942 Told the United States that Hitler was planning to deport and execute millions of Jews in Europe Americans can no longer doubt the extermination of the Jewish people
Write this down American Jewish Congress asked to meet with FDR 3 months on the waiting list One million Jews died December, 1942 Rabbi Wise met with FDR to discuss the Final Solution
Write this down “We can only rescue through complete victory at war” FDR will offer no assistance to the Jewish people in Europe – only work to defeat the German army
Write this down Henry Morgenthau January 1944 - War Refugee Board “designed to recuse and transport victims of oppression to temporary refuge during the war”
Write this down FDR agreed to create one camp in Oswego, New York for 1,000 refugees representing different European groups June 1944 - Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter 12,000 killed per day in Auschwitz
Ruth Gruber
Write this down 1946, after the war the camp was closed 40 percent returned the Europe 60 percent wanted to stay in the United States United States allowed most of the refugees to stay in the United States to become permanent citizens
Write this down Jewish Refugees: 1 camp 1,000 people German Prisoners of War: 70 camps 425,000 people
Write this down June, 1945 – US defeated Germany in Europe “Rescue through victory” Started to liberate concentration camps in Germany Dachau
Write this down Japanese American soldiers liberated the Jews in Dachau Japanese American trying prove their loyalty in the US army rescue the victims we refused to help