Jewish Immigration Under FDR and European Discrimination Toward the Jews in the Early 1900s

The Great Depression brought the election landslide of one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States: Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt, wasn't just another president, he radically transformed our nation. In addition, he was very supportive of the Jewish people and immigrants in American society and many Jewish people became prominent politicians in his cabinet and White House staff. As President, FDR worked closely with Jewish Supreme Court Judge, Louis Brandeis and the two men worked together in approving New Deal legislation which stimulated the economy for growth and a huge increase in employment for workers in a time period in which unemployment was at an all-time high.

FDR rose to politics in NY where he became governor. He hired a multitude of Jewish businessmen and politicians onto his staff including his general counsel of the Treasury Department, the chairman of the Tennessee Valley Corporation, general counsel of the Agriculture Department, general counsel of the Labor Department, general advisor for national-income in the Commerce Department, and a Jewish man was appointed as Director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Franklin Roosevelt showed no bias toward any immigrant and welcomed Jewish immigrants and people with open arms. Some Jews saw FDR as a secular messiah and he helped change the image in America toward the Jewish people. In 1936 FDR received 86 percent of the Jewish vote and won the election overwhelmingly.

It was also FDR's stance in support of the Jews that made many of them conform to liberalism and secularism in the economy and hold secular jobs in a secular lifestyle. FDR radically transformed the lives of Jewish people and they were grateful to him for it.