Out of the Ashes: The Impact of American Jews on Post-Holocaust European Jewry

Out of the Ashes is a unique account of the contribution of American Jews to the continued survival of the remnant of European Jewry - the She'erit Hapletah - in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust. As the Second World War drew to a close and the full extent of the Holocaust was revealed, the immediate American Jewish reaction of shocked silence and disbelief was soon transformed into pragmatic action: Jewish agencies throughout the US were mobilized to help the survivors and their communities to begin to rebuild shattered lives. Paramount among these organizations was the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which since its formation in 1914 had established itself as the foremost American Jewish agency for helping fellow Jews overseas. The JDC was joined by other organizations, including the well-established HIAS (Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society) and ORT (Organization for Rehabilitation and Training). Based on a variety of sources, including the JDC archives and oral interviews, the book examines the politics and mechanics of the American Jewish intervention and assesses its extent and effect on the fate of European Jewry both in Europe and elsewhere in the years immediately after 1945.