Anglo-Jewish rescue and relief efforts, 1938-1944
Recent scholarship has focused on the response of Jews in the free world to the plight of European Jewry in Nazi-occupied Europe. The work of Anglo- Jewish refugee organisations in facilitating the arrival of over 50,000 refugees in Britain between 1933-1939 has been variously chronicled as a model of charitable endeavour and a half-hearted effort cramped by insecurity and self- interest. More consistently, scholars argue that Anglo-Jewry failed to respond to the catastrophe of the war years with the resolution and vigour that might have saved more lives. This thesis takes issue with the current consensus on both the pre-war and war periods. Anglo-Jewry was a confident, well-integrated community which tackled the escalating problems of refugee immigration in the 1930s with common sense and administrative expertise born of a long tradition of communal charity. Its achievement is all the more remarkable measured against the scale of the disaster, the constraints of government immigration policy regulations and the organisations' own chronic lack of funds. By contrast, the Anglo-Jewish organisations were hamstrung during the war years by their political naivete and inexperience in dealing with government officials.
Shatzkes, Pamela Joy
Jews; Nazi-occupied; Refugees; Anglo-Jewry
Anglo-Jewish rescue and relief efforts, 1938-1944. Recent scholarship has focused on the response of Jews in the free world to the plight of European Jewry in Nazi-occupied Europe. The work of Anglo- Jewish refugee organisations in facilitating the arrival of over 50,000 refugees in Britain between 1933-1939 has been variously chronicled as a model of charitable endeavour and a half-hearted effort cramped by insecurity and self- interest. More consistently, scholars argue that Anglo-Jewry failed to respond to the catastrophe of the war years with the resolution and vigour that might have saved more lives. This thesis takes issue with the current consensus on both the pre-war and war periods. Anglo-Jewry was a confident, well-integrated community which tackled the escalating problems of refugee immigration in the 1930s with common sense and administrative expertise born of a long tradition of communal charity. Its achievement is all the more remarkable measured against the scale of the disaster, the constraints of government immigration policy regulations and the organisations' own chronic lack of funds. By contrast, the Anglo-Jewish organisations were hamstrung during the war years by their political naivete and inexperience in dealing with government officials.
anglo jewish rescue relief effort recent_scholarship focus response jews free world plight european nazi occupied europe work anglo jewish refugee organisation facilitate arrival refugee britain variously chronicle model charitable endeavour half effort insecurity self interest consistently scholar argue anglo_jewry fail respond catastrophe war_year resolution might save life take_issue current consensus pre_war war_period anglo_jewry confident well integrated community tackle escalate problem refugee immigration common_sense administrative expertise bear long_tradition communal charity achievement remarkable measure scale disaster constraint government immigration_policy regulation organisation chronic lack fund contrast anglo jewish organisation war_year political deal government_official