The Transatlantic Connection: The American Jewish Committee and the Joint Foreign Committee in Defense of German Jews, 1933-1937

Abstract

Modern Jewish historiography abounds with national histories. We turn out countless books on the history of the Jews in England, France, Germany, and the United States. I would like to suggest that historians focus more specifically on the international dimension of those national histories, that is, on how the links between Jews in country A and those in country B influenced Jewish policy and behavior in both A and B. To be sure, some subjects by definition, like the well-known stories of Zionism or relief for the persecuted Jews in czarist Russia, were international in scope and involved Jews worldwide. But other subjects ranging from the arts to religious responsa beg for greater attention. We need to evaluate the role of individuals and organizations who con sciously looked to foreign sources for guidance and aid, as well as the role of impersonal social and intellectual forces, such as anti-Semitism or biblical criticism, that transcended national boundaries. When our focus is on the transnational connections of individuals and organizations, the international dimension is manifested in a variety of ways. Two examples: i) A common pattern is that of teacher-student, which posits that the student seeks and follows the guidance of the