The Jewish World and the Holocaust

The circumstances of the war and the Holocaust brought about the severing of almost all contact between the Jews living under Nazi rule and those in the free world. During the period preceding the Final Solution, American Jewish organizations, especially the Joint Distribution Committee, tried to assist wherever possible. They tried to alleviate the hardships of ghetto life, mobilize public opinion against the Nazi crimes, and put pressure on the US administration to assist the Jewish cause. Jews in America, Britain and Palestine (Yishuv) considered enlisting in the armies of the Allied Forces. They saw this as their main contribution to the fight against Nazism.

When German troops reached Egypt in 1942, the Jews of Palestine feared Nazi occupation and preparations were made to resist. When reports of extermination arrived that year, there were several acts of solidarity with the Polish Jews and a rescue committee was formed. The best-known attempt by Palestinian Jewry to aid the Jews of Europe was the parachute drop of volunteers working with the British army, into Slovakia, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia in 1944.

Among Soviet Jews, the activity of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, founded by prominent intellectuals, was widespread. This committee engaged in documentation and memorialization activities.

Overall, the efforts made by the Jews internationally bore little results. In spite of the Nazi ideology about the power of "World Jewry" - the Jews of the free world had in fact little influence over the international players .They were almost powerless to do anything on their own.

When German troops reached Egypt in 1942, the Jews of Palestine feared Nazi occupation and preparations were made to resist. When reports of extermination arrived that year, there were several acts of solidarity with the Polish Jews and a rescue committee was formed. The best-known attempt by Palestinian Jewry to aid the Jews of Europe was the parachute drop of volunteers working with the British army, into Slovakia, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia in 1944.

Among Soviet Jews, the activity of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, founded by prominent intellectuals, was widespread. This committee engaged in documentation and memorialization activities.

Overall, the efforts made by the Jews of the Free World bore little results. In spite of the Nazi ideology about the power of  "World Jewry" - the Jews of the Free World had in fact little influence over the international players and were almost powerless to do anything on their own.

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