In America 1933-45: Response to the Holocaust
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The Turning Point
Response to Genocide
“Visas! We began to live visas day and night. When we were awake, we were obsessed by visas. We talked about them all the time. Exit visas. . . entrance visas. Where could we go? During the day we tried to get the proper documents, approvals, stamps. At night in bed we tossed about and dreamed about long lines, officials, visas, visas, visas. . .” - Austrian Refugee
British White Paper
During World War I, Britain pledged to create a Jewish state, but failed to do so after the League of Nations granted them a mandate for Palestine in 1922. Despite opposition from Arab leaders, Jews continued to settle there, enlarging an already established community. In 1939, bowing to Arab pressure and violence, Britain issued a White Paper limiting the number of Jews permitted to enter Palestine to 50,000 over a period of five years. No further immigration was to be allowed.
To European Jews who viewed Palestine as their only hope of sanctuary, the White Paper was a bitter blow. Thousands attempted to enter illegally. If apprehended, they were arrested. After World War II, the British continued to deny legal immigration to Holocaust survivors.
The United Nations War Crimes Commission (WCC)
In 1942, at the urgent request of Jewish leadership, the British and U.S. governments led efforts to establish the WCC to collect evidence to be used in post-war trials of Nazis and their collaborators. Lack of cooperation among participating countries, and lack of support from the State Department hindered the effectiveness of the commission. Nonetheless, top Nazi leaders were brought to trial after the war on three charges: crimes against humanity, war crimes, and conspiracy to commit war crimes. None
of the indictments referred explicitly to crimes against Jews.
Emergency Refugee Camp in Oswego, New York
The Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 opened a new escape route for refugees, making it imperative to find shelter for those who could flee. Several countries offered to admit them as temporary guests. With public opinion decidedly in favor of rescue, President Franklin Roosevelt announced the opening of an emergency camp to receive refugees at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York on June 1, 1944. Because government assistance was inadequate, dozens of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations provided essential services. The refugees were supposed to return to their homes when the war was over, but President Harry Truman, defying political opposition, permitted them to remain in the United States.