By
– September 1, 2011
To the Jewish community of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a hero. He was seen by the Jews as their modern day Moses. For the first time in modern political history Jews were given a respectful seat in the world of politics — FDR even gave them a seat around his table.
He was a rarity, the first president of the United States to allow Jews access to the inner sanctum of the White House. During the war FDR’s privileged Jews were involved in a constant struggle to understand whether they were to pursue a Jewish or an American agenda. They knew how dangerous it was to split their allegiance. But they also knew full well that the Jews of Europe were being murdered and that the United States was doing nothing to stop the genocide. What should the president of the United States be asked to do?
The Jews were caught in a cult of gratitude. Almost everyone was silent on the issue. FDR’s go-to rabbi was Steven Wise, a close friend. FDR’s chief speechwriter was Samuel Rosenman, who had been his speechwriter since Roosevelt was governor of New York. The author of the all-important New Deal was Benjamin V. Cohen. Henry Morgenthau was an old time neighbor of the Roosevelt family and as Secretary of the Treasury he became the first Jewish cabinet member.
The only person who really pushed the president and even then only by writing a report— never face to face — was Henry Morgenthau. The Special Report to the President on the Murder of the Jews of Europe, written by Morgenthau’s assistants, did, however, stimulate the creation of the Bermuda Conference and the War Refugee Board. But it was too little and too late to save most of the European Jews.
The rest, as they say, is history.
He was a rarity, the first president of the United States to allow Jews access to the inner sanctum of the White House. During the war FDR’s privileged Jews were involved in a constant struggle to understand whether they were to pursue a Jewish or an American agenda. They knew how dangerous it was to split their allegiance. But they also knew full well that the Jews of Europe were being murdered and that the United States was doing nothing to stop the genocide. What should the president of the United States be asked to do?
The Jews were caught in a cult of gratitude. Almost everyone was silent on the issue. FDR’s go-to rabbi was Steven Wise, a close friend. FDR’s chief speechwriter was Samuel Rosenman, who had been his speechwriter since Roosevelt was governor of New York. The author of the all-important New Deal was Benjamin V. Cohen. Henry Morgenthau was an old time neighbor of the Roosevelt family and as Secretary of the Treasury he became the first Jewish cabinet member.
The only person who really pushed the president and even then only by writing a report— never face to face — was Henry Morgenthau. The Special Report to the President on the Murder of the Jews of Europe, written by Morgenthau’s assistants, did, however, stimulate the creation of the Bermuda Conference and the War Refugee Board. But it was too little and too late to save most of the European Jews.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Micah D. Halpern is a columnist and a social and political commentator. He is the author of What You Need To Know About: Terror, and maintains The Micah Report at www.micahhalpern.com.
