The German Pogrom of November 1938 and the Reaction of American Jewry
Author | : Alfred Gottschalk |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 36 |
Release | : 1988 |
Genre | : Germany |
ISBN | : |
Download The German Pogrom of November 1938 and the Reaction of American Jewry Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
The author, who experienced the "Kristallnacht" pogrom in Germany, emphasizes the muted response of the American Jewish establishment to it. Though American Jewry had been active in condemning antisemitism before World War I, by the 1930s the establishment was afraid that active campaigning for German Jewry would increase the already significant degree of antisemitism in American society. Though the American, Jewish, and Protestant press, as well as Christian and interfaith groups, condemned the Nazi atrocities, the influential General Jewish Council was only prepared to set a day for "prayer and intercession" for Jews and Gentiles. Left-wing Jewish groups ignored this, holding massive rallies in New York and other cities. Stephen S. Wise, disillusioned by appeasement, and over-reliant on President Roosevelt, was also unable to speak out. Concludes that the American Jewish establishment's response to "Kristallnacht" was the paradigm for the civilized world's silence in the face of the Holocaust.