Reprinted with permission from the Jewish Week.
It was 65 years ago last week that Nazi storm troopers carried out the infamous Kristallnacht pogrom against the Jews of Germany. On Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, nearly 100 Jews were murdered and 30,000 more were sent to concentration camps.Several hundred synagogues were burned down. More than 7,000 Jewish-owned business were destroyed. The vast amount of shattered glass from the windows of Jewish homes and shops gave the rampage its name, "Crystal Night," or "Night of the Broken Glass."
During the previous five years, Germany's Jews had been stripped of their legal rights and subjected to occasional outbursts of violence, but nothing comparable to the systematic, nationwide devastation of Kristallnacht. Now the Fuehrer awaited the world's response.
The American public was fully informed regarding the events in Germany. Detailed reports about Kristallnacht appeared repeatedly on the front pages of the nation's newspapers during the days following the pogrom. However, some newspapers had difficulty acknowledging that the Nazis were motivated by hatred of Jews. A New York Times editorial argued that the Hitler regime's real motive was financial "that the purpose of the violence was to "make a profit for itself out of legalized loot." Likewise, the Baltimore Sun characterized the pogrom as a "money collecting enterprise."
President Franklin Roosevelt responded to Kristallnacht with a sharp verbal condemnation and two gestures: He recalled the U.S. ambassador from Germany for "consultations," and he extended the visitors' visas of the approximately 12,000 German Jewish refugees who were then in the United States. But at the same time, FDR announced that liberalization of America's tight immigration quotas was "not in contemplation."
"20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults."
In the wake of Kristallnacht, humanitarian-minded members of Congress introduced legislation to aid German Jewry. A bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Wagner (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Edith Rogers (R-Mass.) proposed the admission of 20,000 German refugee children outside the quotas. Nativist and isolationist groups vociferously opposed the Wagner-Rogers bill. Typical of their perspective was a remark by FDR's cousin, Laura Delano Houghteling, who was the wife of the U.S. commissioner of immigration. She warned that "20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults."
An appeal to FDR by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt for his support of the bill fell on deaf ears, and an inquiry by a congresswoman as to the president's position was returned to his secretary marked "File No action FDR."
Mindful of polls showing most Americans opposed to more immigration, Roosevelt preferred to follow public opinion rather than lead it. Without his support, the Wagner-Rogers bill was buried in committee.
Ironically, when Pets magazine the following year launched a campaign to have Americans take in purebred British puppies so they would not be harmed by German bombing raids, the magazine was flooded with several thousand offers of haven for the dogs.
American Jewish organizations were reluctant to challenge either the administration's policy or the prevailing public mood. Three days after Kristallnacht, representatives of the General Jewish Council, the umbrella group for the four largest Jewish defense organizations, met in New York City to decide their response to the Nazi violence. Worried about stirring up domestic anti-Semitism, they resolved "that there should be no parades, public demonstrations or protests by Jews," and that although "on humanitarian grounds, mass immigration of German Jews could not be opposed... at least for the time being, nothing should be done with regard to this matter."
When FDR asked his closest Jewish adviser, Samuel Rosenman, a prominent member of the American Jewish Committee, if more Jewish refugees should be allowed to enter the United States in the wake of Kristallnacht, Rosenman opposed such a move because "it would create a Jewish problem in the U.S."
Four months before Kristallnacht, the Roosevelt administration had organized a conference in Evian, France, that brought together delegates from 32 countries to discuss the Jewish refugee problem. But the delegates reaffirmed their unwillingness to liberalize their immigration quotas, and the British refused to even discuss Palestine as a possible haven. The U.S. administration had consciously convened the gathering to give the impression that the free world was taking action when it was doing nothing of the sort.
One German newspaper's comment on Evian stands out: "We can see that one likes to pity the Jews ... but no state is prepared to ... accept a few thousand Jews. Thus the conference serves to justify Germany's policy against Jewry."
Kristallnacht did not fundamentally alter the international community's response to Hitler. There were many verbal condemnations, but no economic sanctions against Nazi Germany, no severing of diplomatic relations, no easing of immigration quotas, not even a complete opening of the gates to the Jews' own ancient homeland. The free world's muted reaction to the Kristallnacht pogrom foreshadowed the terrible silence with which it would greet the Nazis' Final Solution.
(17) Anonymous, March 6, 2009 2:04 PM
That was so sad.
That was the worst thing that has ever happened. I hope nothing like this happens in the future.
(16) tanisha tallman, February 26, 2009 11:21 AM
wow! this is alot o info....
(15) Anonymous, October 11, 2008 7:25 PM
hey now don't hate.
I think maybe what Bettina was trying to convey was that she would have hoped christians of the time would have responded better, based one of the key ideals of christianity- love thy brother, etc. and that the treatment of Jews was OBVIOUSLY not something that the teachings of Christianity would condone. On the other hand, not just jews were persecuted for their beliefs- jehovahs witnesses and homosexuals and many others. I think that Bettina was mainly trying to say that many people had the opportunity to try and stop the horrendous events of the holocaust, and maybe she was expressing her horror as best as she knew how. In reference to shut up please! I think you shouldn't spout peace love and happiness if you judge someone you don't even know on their sins based on their web posting comments.
(14) Shut Up Please, December 19, 2007 6:58 PM
Shut Up...Please!!!
This is in reference to the third comment by Bettina Ramseyer. I totally disagree with your statement about the christians and their sins you should speak for yourself and your sins. The events of the Holocaust were caused by many people including the Germans, Americans, Polish and even some Jews who hid their identity and took part in Nazi Crimes. By the way it really happened it wasn't a nightmare. Peace, Love, Happiness to All.
(13) Anonymous, December 10, 2007 7:26 PM
Mixed messages
Okay, first of all I'm in high School and doing a project on the holocaust so I've been reading all these comments to see what peoples opinions are on this topic. Personally, I am getting different vibes from each one, which makes it that more difficult to understand the concept. First, I deffinatly do not believe we should be putting blame on anyone except for the one responsible, Hitler. Now, many of you are probably saying "oh well she's jut a teen she doesnt know what she's saying or what even happened" and your mistaken. Just because i am a teen doesn't mean i cannot grasp the concept; surley i cannot fully understand ALL of it, but i unnderstand enough to know the just of the situation. I wanted to post this for mainly adults to see, so they can understand were i am coming from as a student. Honestly, Yes, it is hard to hear about but i think it was extremely important to our society to learn about this to prevent it from happening again.
(12) Kim Crosby, April 9, 2005 12:00 AM
Whose fault?
There are many different views as to whose fault the holocaust was it Hitler by himself? Was it just the way Germany was developing? was it all the German people? Or did the war cause these attrocities to occur?
There are arguements for and against for each of these views, but everyone knows it doesn't matter how much you want to blame someone it does not change the murders of so many Jews. Nothing about the holocaust should be forgotten but we also have to forgive Germany for its past mistakes. We all ridicule Germany, everyone forgets about the dictator Stalin who caused alot more deaths than the holocaust. we also forget about America and the fact that they murdered the indians because of the film industry. If we can forget about this surely we can forget about teh holocaust this is why
We must educate the future adults so nothing like the holocaust will occur again.
(11) Bettina Ramseyer, April 5, 2005 12:00 AM
A truly sad fact
I am deeply sad and shocked about the events of Hilters Reich. Also I am so ashamed of the sins what we so called "christians" were and are capable of. The only nice happy thing that happend at the end of this nightmare is the foundation of the state of Israel. All we can do is,ask all jewish people again and again to please forgive us for those terrible sins. And we want you to know that you have friends in europe who cry with you!
(10) Donretig@aol.com, January 16, 2005 12:00 AM
RE: Holocaust studies Kristallnacht:
WE lived in Berlin and hired a "Sleep in maid" from a poor Farm family, During Kristallnacht she told the Nazis coming to plunder
and steal our Machinery and Equipent where to find it and where my parents had hidden our money & my mothers jewelry in our place of business. They forced my mother & kid brother into the
Street while they either stole or demolished the business and home. My father had a first class Herren Mass Schneiderei, was
a Schneidermeister and had 8 to 9 employees plus outside employees. a large inventory of English & German made material to
manufacture Suits, Coats, Formal Attire and had a large amount of
customers like the Director of Flughafen Tempelhof-BerliN Dr.
Sauernheimer, his Assistants, Pilots and friends.
The Nazis took everything and what they could not carry they de - stroyed our buiseness plus our home.
My mother and brother ended up at the German Polish border and
my Uncle arranged with a "Smuggler" to bring them across into
Poland.
My father was transported by train direct to the border but kept by
the Poles in a Camp at the border for many weeks until my Fathers
brother paid a ransom to let him enter Poland although he had a
Polish Passport, and should have been admitted right away,
I worked for a large Firm. repair and overhaul of FORD cars, trucks
and tractors in Berlin and may parents arranged for the Firm to purchase for me a complete set of equipment. which they paid
them and store it at their place of business unil I had a place to
emigrate and open up a complete shop myself. I managed to jump
on the Swedish Ferry at Sasssnitz and after arrival in SWeden made my way to the USA and served for over 4 years in the U,S, Army last as Sgt. Major in Intelligence interrogating captured
Rommel officers overseas. Upon my return to the U.S. I contacted
the owner of the FORD place but he claims he has no knowledge what " happened to my equipment in storage at his place " ?????
My Father was burned alive when the Russians came close to the
Camp, my brother was shipped to Auschwitz and killed there, my
mother worked as a Slave laborer in Poland and later on near her
Camp at Gross Rosen but survived.
We lost everything.
(9) Sharon Procell, June 28, 2004 12:00 AM
Maria Schatzl My Momma
I just found out about my momma; who was experimented on and I am in shock. I have artifacts and now I think I will be able to piece them together. But, I need help. My momma was never compensated for nothing. Please help me. It is horrible to see the fear in face and I now know why she cries all the time. She is so scared that is shakes continously. I never seen her like this. I did not know this. She has kept this a secret all of my life and I am 44 years old and the baby of 5. I know there is a child or two out there that was taken from her. I am lost on how to start this. My mother is terminally ill and I need someone's help.
Sharon Procell
572 Shattalon Drive
Shreveport, La 71106
318-687-4915
318-671-5288 Fax
I have pictures and obituaries and medals and I have no idea who or what is what?
(8) Ken Green, February 26, 2004 12:00 AM
Song Horst Wesel
I have often admired the stirring Nazi marching song The horst wesel song. The tune is catchy but I had never known the words until I read a line in this website. It was indeed a revolting message. I still feel that the song has such a fine rhythm and melody that it must have been composed for some other purpose and was attached to the horrible words. I cannot find any information to support that idea.
(7) Alexia, February 16, 2004 12:00 AM
Keep up the good work!
I used this website for a school project. This website is great!
(6) Eileen Sharp, February 14, 2004 12:00 AM
Reluctance to Admit Hitler as a Threat
Winston Churchill was plagued by his country's apathy to the Hitler threat for years. It was not uniquely American. I guess the point of your article is to say that the United States did not consider the massacre of the Jewish people to be of any importance, and we were bad people or something. Some of us were, but I have to disagree with your opinion that nothing in the world has changed since then. I will never forget my history teacher revealing the Holocaust to our ninth grade class. It was the first time I had ever really studied it, and I was so revolted by the indescribable cruelty that I was physically sick. I know that only the most hardened person could not have been affected by what they learned. I like to think that the majority of Americans are decent people. "America is great because she is good. When she ceases to be good, she will cease to be great." I believe that to be true. Everyone is always howling about America and the way we do things. It's gets disheartening. If you were trying to shame me as an American citizen, you've only succeeded in convincing me that you're just another voice in the dissatisfied world cacophony.
(5) jim, February 4, 2004 12:00 AM
A greatly informative site. Thanks, aish.com!
your site is hugely informative and i find it quite a reliable resource.
this is the most comprehensive and impressive site i've used for my projects thus far and it'll probably stay like that!
(4) rene thompson, February 3, 2004 12:00 AM
muted silence still rings througout the world
As difficult as it is to accept, the world and it's attitudes have changed little since that terrible event 65 years ago.
The nightmare of that day and of the horror of the years that followed still haunts us, yet the world remains unrepentant.
That is a shame that can never be lifted, and the fact that the burden of that shame, seems to matter so little to so many, mkes it more shameful still.
I am not jewish, I am christian by faith. Yet i am no stranger to that heartbreak, and though I am not of that generation, the impact of it's pain still pierces.
The muted silence still rings loud throughout the world. The sounds of hurt and injustice by a people still under siege, continue to fall on the deaf ears. It is unheard in Europe and America , and everywhere outside palestine.
The explosions, and the wailing cries that follow them , still are muted to the world. The pleas for help and assistance remain unaswered and even by those who have pledged their friendship.
The evil that fed the millions it's hate, and it's deception years ago , is with us still. With purpose it seeks out those who are hungry again for it's message; and those who lay in wait eager to spread it, magnfy it. Though it is naked before us all, it goes on, and becomes stronger with the our silence.
Yet G-d is greater and His promise unwavering. He speaks through the voices of those who remember, and it is heard by others like me. One day....by His promise.... the muted silence will be no more, and it will ring loud through the cries of a world unable to bear it's own shame.
Our prayers are with you and with Isreal.
Blessings,
rene thompson
whittier, ca USA
(3) Mary Jo Foster, January 7, 2004 12:00 AM
awful
I have been to Israel and went to the holocaust musuem. It is difficult to think the Jews were treated so cruely. Dogs in america get treated better or you are put in jail. How can humans not value another human being reguardless of race. I think it will happen again on earth.
(2) Alysse, January 6, 2004 12:00 AM
When I began reashercing the crystal night. I was suprised how people could think of other people as rats or numbers. How could someone kill someone they have known there whole life or how could they kill anybody. Just because they say they are inferior my hope is that people will remember the holocaust and hope that we can all think of eachother as equals and that we all need to work together or who knows who could be next?
(1) Adam, December 5, 2003 12:00 AM
How could it happen?
How could somthing like that have happend? I cannot understand how the whole of the earth just truned is back on the German Jews. It brakes my heart to know that people could have been so cold.