American Political Leaders and Their Responses to the Holocaust

As the Nazi regime perpetrated genocide in Europe, some political leaders in the United States responded with courage and others responded with indifference. The divergent approaches taken by individuals within the government, especially to the Jewish refugee crisis, are an important part of the story of Americans and the Holocaust. 

Join the Museum and The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) for a program exploring these divergent approaches and the lessons they can offer us. The program will be moderated by author, journalist, historian, and lecturer Adam Hochschild and will feature:

• Arthur Berger, former Communications Director and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, TOLI Board Member, and expert on American diplomacy during the Holocaust;
• Dr. Rebecca Erbelding, historian, archivist, and curator at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and author of Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe; and
• Dr. Blanche Wiesen Cook, Distinguished Professor of History and Women's Studies at the John Jay College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and author of the definitive biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.