This study aims to present a full historical analysis of American Jewry's transformation during World War II from an apolitical, philanthropic body into a powerful political pressure group consonant with the character and traditions of American democracy. This transformation resulted mainly from the feeling of helplessness experienced by American Jewry in the face of their growing awareness of the horrors and dimensions of the Holocaust. Although American political and economic interests were opposed to the Zionist ideals, ...
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This study aims to present a full historical analysis of American Jewry's transformation during World War II from an apolitical, philanthropic body into a powerful political pressure group consonant with the character and traditions of American democracy. This transformation resulted mainly from the feeling of helplessness experienced by American Jewry in the face of their growing awareness of the horrors and dimensions of the Holocaust. Although American political and economic interests were opposed to the Zionist ideals, by enlisting the public support of the segment of the American population which, for religious and other reasons, was sympathetic toward the Jews, Zionism became a political force capable of exerting pressure upon the government. This constituted the basis for American Zionism's successful battle for the establishment of the State of Israel after the war. The book as a whole represents a major revision in the accepted role of American Jewry during World War II.
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