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The Unwanted: German Jews in World War II
(Jewish Link-NJ) Alex Grobman and Susan L. Rosenbluth - Michael Dobbs' The Unwanted: America, Auschwitz, and a Village Caught in Between is the story of the Jews of Kippenheim, a village in southwest Germany where Jews had lived since the 17th century. After Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938, every Kippenheim Jewish family (150 individuals) attempted to seek refuge in the U.S. In the 12 months ending in June 1938, 22,000 Jews applied for U.S. visas. Of these, 14,000 were never given an appointment. Another 1,200 Jews were declined an interview because of medical reasons or unacceptable affidavits. The remaining 6,800 presumably qualified applicants were forced to wait two to three years for an appointment with the consulate. In 1938, only 5% of Americans were in favor of increasing the immigrant quotas to permit additional refugees into the U.S. Some 18% of Americans were disposed to allowing them to enter the U.S. as long as immigration quotas were not raised. Many Americans, including some members of Congress, believed Jews from Eastern Europe were radicals, perhaps even Communists, who would become a "fifth column" in the U.S. Then-Assistant Secretary of State Breckinridge Long sought to delay the entry of Jewish immigrants to the U.S. by "simply advising our Consul to put every obstacle in the way and to...postpone the granting of visas."