We take a look at the legacy of the fight against antisemitism in the United States during WWII. Oral histories of liberators provide first-hand experiences of cruelty and inhumanity that emphasize the horrific realities of unchecked antisemitism. Holocaust survivor, Anne Levy, discusses dedicating her life to educating the public on antisemitism and fighting politicians who preach prejudice.

Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD, fellow with The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, is joined by Jason Dawsey, PhD, ASU WWII Studies Consultant for the Museum, and Daniel Greene, PhD, Historian and Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University.

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While activists raised public awareness of the plight of European Jews, American policymakers also advocated for the United States to do more for those fleeing from Nazi terror. Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., changed America's refugee policy with the assistance of his fellow bureaucrats and created opportunities for Jews to resettle in the United States.

Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD, fellow with The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy (JCISWD), discusses those eighteen months of plight with Mike Bell, PhD, Executive Director for the JCISWD.

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In response to pro-Nazi groups and figures, activists like Peter H. Bergson, a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, led a publicity campaign with theatrical flourishes to encourage Americans to act against Hitler’s murderous policies. Bergson’s “Committee for a Jewish Army” produced a 1943 staging of the We Will Never Die pageant at Madison Square Garden—a sold-out show that was a counterpoint to the pro-Nazi rally held there four years earlier.

Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD, fellow with The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, discusses the Pageant and its impact with Rebbeca Erbelding, PhD, historian, author, curator, and archivist at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

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This episode explores the movement from Nazi-sympathizers to pro-Nazi support among American groups, particularly the German-American Bund. The Bund’s 1939 “Pro-American” rally at Madison Square Garden was a watershed moment for pro-Nazi organizations, whose numbers grew in the pre-war years.

Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD, fellow with The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, discusses the Bund with Bradley Hart, PhD, Military Historian for the Museum. 

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Some Audio Courtesy of Past Daily/Global ImageWorks, LLC.

Father Charles Coughlin, a “radio priest,” used the airwaves to deliver sermons that often relied on antisemitic rants and charged Jews with economic and social unrest in the United States. His vitriolic broadcasts spawned a number of other antisemitic figures and organizations during the pre-war years.

 Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD, fellow with The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, discusses the roots of these pro-Nazi sympathizers with Jason Dawsey, PhD, ASU WWII Studies Consultant for the Museum. 

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Coming soon from The National WWII Museum, Antisemitism: The Fight in WWII America is a five-part podcast series exploring the battle against antisemitism in prewar America and during World War II as well as the legacy of these efforts, which continue today. 

We begin in 1938, examining voices who were sympathetic to Nazism, while also highlighting voices who raised public awareness of the ongoing mass murder of Europe’s Jewish populations. The first two episodes examine American groups sympathetic to the Nazi; the next two focus on organizations that countered antisemitism during the war. The fifth and final episode looks at the legacy of liberation today.