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When American Jews Fought Nazis - in New Jersey
(JTA) Josefin Dolsten - In the 1930s, Newark, New Jersey, was home to a large German-American population and a fair share of supporters of the Nazi cause. Following Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Jews in Newark saw Nazi-sympathizers marching down their city's streets. "The Nazis were marching in uniform. Many of them were armed. They broke windows, and they attacked merchants," said Warren Grover, a historian and the author of the 2003 book Nazis in Newark. Nazis also screened movies with anti-Semitic messages and hung anti-Jewish posters in the city. In response, Jews started organizing to defend themselves. In Newark they organized the Minutemen, aided by Jewish gangster Abner "Longy" Zwillman, and led by former professional boxer Nat Arno. The mostly Jewish group, which also had a few Irish and Italian members, became a powerful tool to fight Hitler sympathizers. Grover said the group served its purpose: deterring Nazis from organizing in Newark. "Just the thought of having Minutemen present at any of their meetings discouraged a lot of the Nazis from holding public meetings," he said.