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Abstract

The question of why it took the United States so long to aid in Europe during the Holocaust has been widely debated in history, due to confusion over what groups knew about the atrocity taking place and just how much information was available. When did the United States government understand the destruction that was being done to the Jewish populations overseas? Did specific organizations try to help to raise awareness? As early as the mid-1800s, Cleveland, Ohio became home to its own active Jewish society. Making a new home, but keeping their former ideals, these groups still stayed connected to what was happening back home. Acknowledging what the government was not, these Cleveland Jewish groups tried to bring the American population up to speed by exposing Hitler’s destruction to their people. These Jewish populations had a greater understanding of the horrific treatment happening to their own in Europe. However, within the Jewish population opposing ideologies about how to bring awareness to the issue existed, thus hindering their full ability to prompt the need of the United States to give aid. Through the use of primary sources such as newspapers from Ohio, official government documents, and secondary sources ranging from basic and brief histories to giving understanding of the different Jewish groups, this paper will discuss the Jewish Cleveland groups who tried to raise awareness to the United States government about the Holocaust. I argue that through these specific Jewish groups in Cleveland, as well as other, the United States was well aware of the monstrous acts being administered by Adolf Hitler before intervening.

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35

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