Gulie Ne’eman Arad

Cooptation of Elites: American Jewish Reactions to the Nazi Menace, 1933

The article deals with the response of the American Jewish leadership to the plight of German Jews in March-April 1933. It discusses the “cooptive power” exercised by the U.S. administration, which succeeded in curbing pressure on the part of the American Jewish Committee and the American Jewish Congress for the government to intervene on behalf of German Jewry. President Roosevelt appointed many prominent Jews to positions in his government; this honor caused them to adopt a stance of “America first” and distance themselves from the goals of the Jewish minority. Moreover, this “Jewish power brigade” turned out to be an impediment for Jewish pressure groups.

The administration was reluctant to intervene in German affairs solely on humanitarian grounds, and kept silent. Stephen Wise was in an especially difficult position, because he had to show loyalty to national goals and at the same time to be the leader of the Jewish masses.