;111,

:te a

Question of the Week:

Following the death of this president, his close friend Uriah
Levy purchased and renovated his home, which he donated to
the government to serve as a landmark for this outstanding
leader. Who was he?

Se,

:114 1- 4,

Interestingly, while FDR was extremely close with
his mother, who financially supported him and his
I family for many years, he never became the virulent:
I antisemite that she was. FDR's son, Elliott, recalls
'
I that his father, still a young man, became exasper-
ated after receiving a letter from an associate who
preferred that Jews be kept out of the Boy Scouts.
Roosevelt fired back: absolutely not. The Boy
Scouts, like America itself, was great specifically
1 because it was home to such a diverse group of
111
people, he
d
O ften
b as a lackluster administrator ,
though charming and inspirational, FDR had a
number of Jewish friends. Among them was
I Rabbi Stephen Wise, with whom he remained
I close throughout his life. In his run for governor
Elizabeth Applebaum
of New York, FDR advocated many of the liber-
AppleTree Editor
I al ideals shared by the Jewish community of that
state, and indeed Jews throughout the nation. In
y George, Washington was a good egg
I every election, from governor to president, FDR
when it came to the Jewish community.
I invariably received tremendous Jewish support.
But honestly, few could top Abe Lincoln.
1 In the 1940 and 1944 presidential elections,
The country's 16th president, the man who ended
for example, he secured more than 90 percent
slavery and united the country after a bitter war,
of the Jewish vote. In fact, FDR's policies
made two historic decisions in support of the Jewish
I became so closely associated with Jewish opin-
community, and maintained close friendships with
ion that antisemites referred to the New Deal as
Jews throughout his life.
1 the "Jew Deal."
Presidents' Day, a legal holiday observed Mon-
Roosevelt was always outspoken against the
day, Feb. 21, honors George Washington and
•—•\
Nazis, and even withdrew the American
Abraham Lincoln. To mark the occasion, consider
ambassador to Germany after Kristallnacht in
the records of some of this country's top leaders. It
1938. Yet he was slow to admit Jewish (or any
just may be that the fellow you regarded as
other) refugees to the U.S., which many fairly
upstanding is in fact something of a scoundrel,
observe was a reflection of the mood of the
`‘41
while another president whose name you barely
country. This does not however, explain why
remember helped bring about some quite remark-
that same year FDR attended a conference
able achievements.
specifically to discuss Jewish refugees — and
readily agreed to Britain's desire not to even
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT
bring up the issue of opening Palestine to those
(1882-1945): 32nd president;
fleeing the Nazis.
Democrat
FDR's approach to Hitler's persecution of Jews
Scholars are still debating
can best be described as cautious. While even
whether FDR was in fact a good
tually, in 1944, he did establish the War
friend to the Jewish community. Or,
Refugee Board — whose key responsibility was
was he a man who hesitated to
expediting visas for refugees — by this time
speak out on behalf of Jewish refugees seeking
Hitler already had slaughtered much of eastern
entry to the United States and Palestine.
Europe's Jews.

CipitC01

In honor of
Presidents' Day,
a look at the
relations between
some of our
commanders-
in-chief
and the Jewish
communi

I

