In America 1933-45: Response to the Holocaust
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The Remnant
Resilience and Continuity
“Furthermore, when the war came to its end I learned that the governments, the leaders, the scholars, the writers did not know what had been happening to the Jews. . .The murder of six million innocents was a secret. . .the second original sin has been committed by humanity: through commission or omission or self-imposed ignorance or insensitivity, or hypocrisy, or heartless rationalization.”
- Jan Karski, Polish diplomat, rescuer, Righteous Gentile
Without a Place to Go
The defeat of Germany ended Nazi terror in Europe. Jews liberated from concentration camps and hiding places found themselves in an unfamiliar world, often without homes or family. Stateless and without political influence, approximately 250,000 were held in displaced persons (DP) camps located in former concen- tration camps, Germany army barracks and prisoner of war camps. Within the DP camps, food was scarce and living quarters were crowded and inadequate. The situation improved after President Harry Truman intervened.
Traumatized and in poor health, most survivors refused to return to communities that had participated in their persecution or borne witness to it in silence. Some who attempted to return were greeted with violence and hostility. The British continued to block Jewish settlement in Palestine, the preferred destination for many survivors. There were numerous attempts to defy the British blockage. Fifty thousand succeeded, but thousands of others were turned back.
Approximately 37,000 survivors found homes in Belgium, France, Canada, Britain, and Latin America and thousands came to the United States after President Harry Truman opened the immi- gration quota in 1945 and again in 1948.
Approximately 140,000 made their way legally to the State of Israel after it was established in 1948.
Post War Efforts
American Jews played an important role in the resettlement of survivors. The United Jewish Appeal launched a campaign to raise $50 million to settle survivors in Israel. Fund drives were initiated by Jewish Federations in every community. The San Antonio Jewish Federation contributed its share of $200,000.
In addition, each organized Jewish community accepted a number of the survivors. Seventy-six were settled in San Antonio. Organizations and volunteers worked together to help the newcomers find employment and housing. Medical care, language training, and financial aid were provided as needed.
On January 17, 1947, the local Federation adopted a resolution supporting the resettlement of displaced persons. Members of the Board of Directors included William Sinkin, Jesse Oppenheimer, Gilbert Lang, Jake Karotkin, Nathan Trotter, and Frank Lichtenstein.
Jack Steinberger, photo by Sigismund von Dobschütz
Fate of the One Thousand Children (OTC) Rescued by the GJCA
In the year following the end of the war, 200 children living in foster homes were reunited with parents who were admitted into the United States under post-war quotas. A few others were uprooted to join parents in Europe, Israel, and South America. Most learned that their parents had been killed.
Those who remained in America became loyal citizens, keenly aware of the advantages offered them. Some attended college, many served in the U.S. military and others achieved prominence in their chosen professions. Richard Schifter became an American diplomat and at least one, Jack Steinberger, became a Nobel Laureate.
SUMMARY
The Sound of Silence
“In a time of moral crisis…silence is betrayal.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
In the face of death, Hitler’s victims must have wondered about the silence of the world. Where were the voices that should have been raised in protest?
Where was the family of nations that might have intervened?
By 1941, the Nazi armies occupied most of Europe. Millions of Jews trapped in Nazi camps and ghettos were beyond the reach of Britain, the United States, or the Soviet Union. How- ever, hundreds of thousands were still free or in hiding. Finding asylum was their only hope. If immigration to America and Palestine had been allowed, they might have been saved. For the oppressed, the gates to freedom were firmly shut. American and British leaders insisted that no specific action to help Jews could be undertaken. Victory in the war, they said, was the only hope of Jewish deliverance.
The attention of the American people was firmly riveted on the war in Europe and the Pacific. Nearly everyone had family members serving overseas, many in perilous situations. For most Americans, Hitler’s war against the Jews seemed remote or even unbelievable. Yet, not everyone was complacent. Many reacted to reports of Nazi atrocities with outrage and compassion. They understood that the organized slaughter of an en- tire people, even though it was occurring far from our shores, challenged moral principles and laws that are fundamental to decency and our way of life. They joined American Jews in protest and supported humanitarian aid. Their efforts were a spark of light in an otherwise bleak landscape.
Statue of Liberty, photo by KieraRoberts
The United States must be recognized as the dominate force in the defeat of Nazi Germany, which was an existential priority. Without American leadership and sacrifice, Hitler may have been victorious. In the final analysis, this country saved civilization itself and in doing so, saved the Jews from extinction.
“. . .Send these, the homeless, tempest-toss’d to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
- Emma Lazarus