Myths and Realities of American Responses to the Holocaust, 1938-1945

2021 Morgenthau Holocaust Collections Project (MHCP) Conference:
"Examining American Responses to the Holocaust: Digital Possibilities"
October 12-15, 2021

Public understanding of American response(s) to the Holocaust is rife with myths and misconceptions, from the idea that the American public had no access to information about the Holocaust to the belief that the United States government willfully ignored mass murder as it was happening. In this roundtable, three scholars of American history will debate and discuss some of these myths, as well as welcoming audience questions for discussion. The historians will also provide brief presentations addressing myths that their research has helped to dispel. Richard Breitman, professor emeritus at American University and author of numerous books including FDR and the Jews and The Berlin Mission, will discuss the American government's reaction to the Kristallnacht attacks of 1938, arguing that the FDR administration's reaction was stronger than most believe. Rebecca Erbelding, historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and author of Rescue Board, will examine the physical realties of Jewish immigration and the dramatic effect of World War II on the opportunities of refugees to escape. Meredith Hindley, the author of Destination Casablanca, will explore the case study of Casablanca as a locus for the Jewish refugee community following the German invasion of France in 1940.

Paper Titles and Presenters:

U.S. Reaction to Kristallnacht Now and Then
Richard Breitman
Emeritus Professor, American University

“The Last Boat:” The Impact of the Encroaching War on Refugee Immigration to the United States, 1938-1941
Rebecca Erbelding
Curator/Archivist, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Everybody Comes to Casablanca
Meredith Hindley
Historian

Moderator:

Barry Trachtenberg

Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History and Director of Jewish Studies Program, Wake Forest University

Live-Streaming Schedule:

Tuesday, October 12
10:00 a.m.
"Non-Governmental Organizations (Rescue/Relief) During and Immediately After WWII"
Moderator: Anat Kutner
Presenters: Ron Coleman, Isabelle Rohr, Ludwig Decke, Roman Vater, Abby Gondek

Tuesday, October 12
1:00 p.m.
"Myths and Realities of American Responses to the Holocaust, 1938-1945"
Moderator: Barry Trachtenberg
Presenters: Richard Breitman, Rebecca Erbelding, Meredith Hindley

Wednesday, October 13
10:00 a.m.
"Forced Academic Migration of Refugee Scholars"
Moderator: Rachel Deblinger
Presenters: Stefanie Mahrer, Sinja Clavadetscher, Stefanie Salvisberg, Laurel Leff, John Wihbey

Wednesday, October 13
1:00 p.m.
"The Last Mission – FDR, Ibn Saud and the Question of Israel"
Moderator: Paul Sparrow
Presenter: David Woolner

Thursday, October 14
10:00 a.m.
"New Intersections – Holocaust Studies & Digital Humanities"
Moderators: Michael Haley Goldman, Michael R. Levy
Presenters: Abby Gondek, Richard Marciano, William Underwood, Teddy Randby

Friday, October 15
10:00 a.m.
"NARA and FDR Library Holocaust Resources"
Moderator: Kirsten Carter
Presenters: Jeff Urbin, Sylvia Naylor, Nikola Zimring, Abby Gondek

Friday, October 15
3:00 p.m.
"Auschwitz – What We Know Now, What We Knew Then"
Moderator: Paul Sparrow
Presenter: Michael Berenbaum