14 - “My only hope”: The National Council of Jewish Women's Rescue and Aid for German-Jewish Refugees

Summary

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) was “my only hope ” recalled a German-Jewish refugee in 1940.1 “Walter ” was one of a few thousand German-Jewish refugees from Nazism who emigrated to the United States between 1933 and 1941. Council intervention even helped a few Jews escape Europe in the years before the United States entered the war. The NCJW located refugees' relatives trapped in Europe and attempted to secure their release. In some cases, they succeeded.

Most of the NCJW's war work, however, was devoted to protecting thousands of refugees as soon as they put foot on American docks. When German-Jewish refugees first arrived in the United States, a National Council of Jewish Women social worker or volunteer was often the first person to greet them upon arrival. The NCJW helped these émigréss find a home, employment, and social services; educated them in American customs and citizenship requirements; and lobbied tirelessly for legislation to lift immigrant quotas, ease naturalization requirements, and protect aliens' legal rights.

Despite these accomplishments, this chapter suggests that NCJW members were severely hampered by their status as women, Jews, and of German origin. United States government agencies and male Jewish leadership severely restricted the Council's activities, and the NCJW nearly tore itself apart through its own internal disagreements and conflicts with other agencies.