The Yishuv, the State of Israel and the Holocaust Prof. Tuvia Friling Tuesdays and Thursdays, 05:00-06:20 p.m

Office: Mandel 317 Office hours: Tuesdays,

10:00 -12:00 Tel: 781-736-2764 email: [email protected]

Course Narrative:

The purpose of the course is to describe, analyze and evaluate the intellectual discourse and the historiography around the Yishuv’s [the Jewish settlement in Mandatory Palestine] role in saving European Jews during the Holocaust. We will examine claims that the ideology of the “negation of the Diaspora” and a fixation on the priority of establishing an independent Jewish state so blinded the Yishuv and its leaders (generally young and of European background) that they restrained their response and even deserted their families to the crematoria. These charges require separating fact from fiction. The challenge of doing so has become a topic of enormous intensity that has engulfed the energies of many scholars, political discourse and public opinion since World War II itself. Detailing and analyzing these controversies provide an extraordinary window by which to understand Israeli history and scholarship.

An essential part of the course will be to explore primary sources drawn from U.S. archives, mainly from the White House and the OSS (Office of Strategic Services); from Britain = Cabinet, Foreign Office and Colonial Office; and from Zionist sources.

The course will begin with Hitler’s coming to power through the Second War World to the Gruenwald trial (or “Kastner trail” – 1954/5) and up to the present.

Course Methodology: The course will be based on lectures and discussions of documents that will be analyzed at each session.

The syllabus below details the issues we will address.

Grading: The course will be conducted as a research seminar. Every student will be asked to write and submit 2 assignments, each of which will focus on the text, context and subtext of a significant document (4-5 pages each, for a total of 30 points). These

1 analyses may serve as a basis for class presentation. There will also be a seminar paper on a subject he\she will choose (15-25 pages, 50 points) which she\he will present in class (20 points).

Required Reading: (choose one of the following) - Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler the Allies, and the Jews, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK 2004 - Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark: David Ben-Gurion, the Yishuv Leadership and Rescue Attempts during the Holocaust, the University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI 2005

- Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David: The Zionist Leadership in Palestine and the Holocaust, 1939-1945, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA 1990

First topic: * Introduction: The Yishuv during Second World War

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, Introduction, pp. 3-12 Or: Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler, the Allies and the Jews, chapter 7, pp. 50-53 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, Introduction, pp. 1-2

For other Information on the Yishuv see flowcharts in Latte.

Second topic: * Confronting information from Europe. Stages in Acknowledging the Holocaust: Receipt of information; internalizing; mental and emotional processing (September 1939 - October-November 1942)

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 1, pp. 15-75 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapters 1-3, pp. 5-33

Select one of the following: Ben-Gurion to Arthur, July 1, 1942; Ben-Gurion's Memo.July 2, 1942; Rigner telegram, Aug.17,1942 ;Lichtheim Letter to Lauterbach,

2 August 31, 1942; Henderson to Secretary of States, October 16, 1942.

For other documents see Latte.

Third topic: * Debates over the response: weighing the efficacy of public protest (Ben-Gurion: "When no cure is available, witchcraft is not an option,")

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 2, pp. 77-123 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapter 6, pp. 49-63

And one of the documents: The Alleys declaration of December 17, 1942; Ben- Gurion's speech, Jerusalem, November 30, 1942; Ben-Gurion's speech, Jerusalem, July 10, 1944.

Fourth topic: * The “Lightning Rod”: establishment of the Rescue Committee (1942-1945)

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 3, pp. 125-135 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapter 7, pp. 64-71

Fifth topic: * Rescue Plans: an introduction

* "'Otherwise we shall never be forgiven": The plans to save children.

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 4, pp. 143-194 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapters 8-9, pp. 72-108

Or: - Adler-Rudel, S., A Chronicle of Rescue Effort, Leo Baeck Year Book, X1, 1966

3 And one of the documents: Telegram from B.G to Arthur Lourie, December 8th, 1942; Bernd Joseph to the commissioner for migration, December 18, 1942;Gruenbaum to Jewish Agency Executive, September 1, 1943.

For other documents see Latte.

Sixth topic: * Between the Hammer and the Anvil in 1944: Attempts to Save Children and the Struggle for Aliya

Readings:

Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 6, pp. 239-260 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapters 10-11, pp. 111-163

And one of the documents: Laurence Steinhardt to William Rosenblatt, April 1, 1944.

For other documents see Latte.

Seventh topic: * Negotiating with the Nazis: "To make a deal with the Devil": a. The Transnistria Plan b. The Slovakia Plan and the Europa Plan

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 5, pp. 195-238 Or: Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler, the Allies and the Jews, chapter 19, pp. 170-184 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapter 12, pp. 164-211 Or: - Aronson, Shlomo, & Richard Breitman, "The End of the 'Final Solution'? Nazi Plans to Ransom Jews in 1944", in: Central European History, 25, 2(1992), pp. 194-203

4 And one of the documents: Transfer of Jews from Transniestria, The NY Times, Feb. 1943; Helifax to Foreign office Feb. 18, 1943 - Romania - Trnasnistria ;Halifax, Washington to FO, February, 26, 1943 ; R.I.Campbell to waizman, March 3,1943 - Romanian Jews; Gruenbaum to Stephen Weis, May 8, 1944; H. MacMichael to Secretary of State – Colonies, May 26, 1944; Burton Y. Berry to Secretary of State, June 13, 1944; H. MacMichael to Secretary of State – Colonies, June 15, 1944; Shertok to Jewish Agency Executive, July 2, 1944; Shertok to Ben-Gurion , July 13, 1944;

For other documents see Latte.

Eighth topic: * Clandestine Cooperations a. Prior to public knowledge of the extermination of Jews (November 1942) b. Post official acknowledgement c. Cooperation with the western Allies d. Self-defense plan for the Yishuv and failure in Istanbul e. Cooperation towards the War’s end and in the aftermath

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. I, chapter 7, pp. 261-355 Or: Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler, the Allies and the Jews, chapter 11, pp. 79-101, chapter 18, pp. 159-169 and chapters 23-24, pp. 197-224 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, chapter 13, pp. 212-228

And one of the documents: SR to Zaslani, February 8, 1943 ;H.P Domvil to Sharet, March 17, 1943 ; R.Z to SQ.d R. July 2, 1943 ; R.Z to SQ.d R. June 15, 1943; RZ to SQ. Ldr. R. July 1, 1943; R.Z to SQ.d R. Aug. 9, 1943; Z to Sq.Ldr. R August 13, 1943 ; C.G.Glennconer to Shertok, October 19, 1944; A message re Hana senesh death February 25, 1945 ; BG to Seager January 10, 1945.

For other documents see Latte.

Ninth topic:

5 * Negotiations with the Nazis: the attempt to rescue Hungarian Jewry a. The Brand and Grosz Affairs b. Invitations to Budapest and Berlin and contacts in Stockholm

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. II, chapter 8, pp. 3-69 Or: Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler, the Allies and the Jews, chapters 26-29, pp. 232-261

And one of the documents: Circumstances of Brand interrogation June 1944 ;Brand Interrogation; Brand Interrogation, June 16, 1944 ; Tuck to Magness, Joseph Schwartz and Hirschmann, Cairo, June 22, 1944; Extract from Interrogation of Gross, July 17, 1944; Brand approval return to Hungary Aug. 5, 1944; brand and gross mission July 28, 1944.

For other documents see Latte.

Topic ten: * The challenge of bombing the camps and their transportation network

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. II, chapter 9, pp. 71-85 Or: Aronson, Shlomo, Hitler, the Allies and the Jews, chapter 33, pp. 290-297 Or: • Wyman, David S., “Why Auschwitz was Never Bombed?", Commentary, 65, 5 (May 1978), pp. 37-46

And one of the documents: Grunbaum to Stalin, Churchill, Rooswelt, Bombing the camps, Feb.1, 1945.

For other documents see Latte.

Eleventh topic: * Financing rescue attempts and assistance to victims a. On the brink of the abyss - financial maneuvers by

6 Ben-Gurion and Kaplan: groping for a financial policy 1942-1943. b. Financing activities in liberated Europe.

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. II, chapters 10-11, pp. 89-127

And one of the documents: Kaplan to Shcwartz Dec. 25, 1942; Paul Baerwald to BG, Aug. 7, 1942; Kaplan to Joseph Schwartz, Aug.5, 1943; J. Shwartz to Dobkin, April 2, 1944 ; Tuck to Magnes re Joseph Schwartz and Hirschmann, Cairo, June 22, 1944;

For other documents see Latte.

Twelfth topic: *The Challenge of Financing (continued) c. The Budget of the Jewish Agency and Fund-Raising in the Yishuv d. Fund-raising abroad e. Transferring funds Summary: Financing rescue operations and assistance

Readings: Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. II, chapters 12-15, pp. 129-194.

Thirteenth topic: * Conclusion: Myths and realities re-examined

Readings:

Friling, Tuvia, Arrows in the Dark, vol. II, Conclusion, pp. 195-219 Or: Porat, Dina, The Blue and the Yellow Star of David, Conclusion, pp. 239-26

For further reading:

- Avriel, Ehud, Open the Gates!, New York 1980

- Bauer, Yehuda, American Jewry and the Holocaust: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 1939-1945, Detroit 1981

7 - Bauer, Yehuda, Jewish Reactions to the Holocaust ,Jerusalem, 1989

- Bauer, Yehuda, Jews for Sale? Nazi-Jewish Negotiations, 1933-1945, New Haven 1994 - Bolchover, Richard, British Jewry and the Holocaust (2nd ed.), Oxford, 2003

- Braham, R.L., The Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry, New York 1986

- Feingold, H. L., The Politics of Rescue, New Jersey, 1970

- Freidman, S. S., No Haven for the Oppressed, Detroit 1973

- Friling, Tuvia, “The New Historians and the Failure of Rescue Operations during the Holocaust”, Israel and the Holocaust, Israel Studies, a Series Subject, 8, 3 (fall 2003), pp. 25-64

- Friling, Tuvia, "A Blatant Oversight? The Right-Wing in Israeli Holocaust Historiography?" Israel Studies, 14, 1 (March 2009), pp.123-169 - - Kranzler, David, Thy Brother’s Blood: The Orthodox Jewish Response during the Holocaust , New York, 1987

- Laqueur, Walter and Richard Breitman, Breaking the Silence: The Secret Mission of Eduard Schulte, London, 1986 - Lookstein, H., Were We Our Brother’s Keepers: The Public Response of American Jewry to the Holocaust 1938-1944, New York, 1985

- Medoff, Rafael, The Deafening Silence: American Jewish Leaders and the Holocaust, New York, 1987

- Ofer, Dalia, "The Activities of the Jewish Agency Delegation in Istanbul in 1943", in: Rescue Attempts During The Holocaust, Proceedings of the Second Yad Vashem International Historical Conference, Jerusalem, April 8-11, New York 1974, pp. 435-450

8 - Rubinstein, William, The Myth of Rescue: Why the Democracies Could Not Have Saved More Jews from the Nazis, New York, 1997 - Shatzkes, Pamela, Holocaust and Rescue: Impotent or Indifferent? Anglo-Jewry 1938- 1945, London, 2002. - Sompolinsky, Meier., Britain and the Holocaust: The Failure of Anglo-Jewish Leadership? Brighton, 1999

- Wasserstein, Bernard, Britain and the Jews of Europe 1939-1945, London 1979

- Wyman David S., Paper Walls: America and the Refugee Crisis 1938-1941, New York 1968.

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