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Josephine Seifert

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Media/US Involvement with the Holocaust

<p>The tragic killings of the Jews was largely ignored by journalists during the Holocaust due to the widespread anti semitism that flourished during this time. A surprising percentage of Americans openly displayed their opposition to the Jews. Private schools, camps, colleges, resorts, and places of employment all imposed restrictions and quotas against Jews, often quite blatantly. Influential figures such as Henry Ford criticized their character and patriotism. At their peak, the Bund held a rally in Madison Square Garden packed with 20,000 people to hear speeches, which was largely covered by prominent newspapers. Other newspapers justify their lack of coverage due to the "ambiguous information" supplied. The huge death polls given to them was simply too insufferable for them to believe. In some cases, they would report on them on neglected parts of the newspaper which were not seen by many. However there is reason to believe they knew much more about the Holocaust than what they printed. Although the Holocaust deserved more attention then given, Jewish newspapers reported the truths of the genocide in an effort to gain support by exposure. In some findings, newspapers covered the Jewish tragedies with sympathy through photographs, stamps, and cartoons. American media’s disregard for the magnitude of the genocide at the time is relevant when looking at the context and environment in which these were published. With the rising population of Neo-Nazis, it evident that we have forgotten “never forget”. With the help of education and awareness of the Holocaust, it will ensure a terror like this will never happen again.<br /></p>
Josephine Seifert
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