简介：In1937,a17-year-oldGermanJewnamedKurtKleinemigratedtotheUStoescapethegrowingdiscriminationagainstJewsthathadbecomeaterriblefactoflifefollowingHitler'srisein1933.Togetherwithhisbrotherandsister,whohademigratedpreviously,KleinworkedtoestablishhimselfsothathecouldobtainsafepassageforhisparentsoutofGermany.AmericaandtheHolocaustusesthemovingtaleofKlein'sstrugglesagainstawallofbureaucracytofreehisparentstoexplorethecomplexsocialandpoliticalfactorsthatledtheAmericangovernmenttoturnitsbackontheplightoftheJews.ThefilmisproducedbyMartinOstrow.HalLindennarrates. In1938,Americansocietyhaditsownpolitical,social,andeconomicproblems,includingalong-standing--andrising--anti-Semitism.DespitestoriescomingfromEuropeaboutacampaigntoforceJewsoutofGermanyandaboutthehorrorsofKristallnacht("thenightofbrokenglass"),themajorityofAmericanswerefearfulthataninfluxofimmigrantswouldonlyaggravatetheseriousunemploymentproblembroughtonbytheDepression. Morethan100anti-SemiticorganizationsblanketedtheUSwithpropagandablamingJewsforallAmerica'sills.BusinessesdiscriminatedagainstJews,refusingthemjobs.Signsatprivatebeachesborethewords"NoJewsorDogsallowed"andcertainhotelsandhousingdevelopmentsproudlyproclaimedthemselves"Restricted."Eventhegovernmentwasnotimmunefromanti-Semiticsentiments.WhiletheKleinswerestrugglingtoobtainvisasfromtheAmericanconsulate,theStateDepartmentordereditsconsulstostalltheprocess. "Eventhoughwecontinuedourattemptstogetourparentsout--becauseweknewthattheywereintheunoccupiedpartofFrancewhichwasstillnottotallyunderGermancontrol--everythingwedidforthemturnedintonothing,"recallsKurtKlein. "TheStateDepartmentprobablyhadagreaterdegreeofanti-Semitismthanothers,particularlyintheimmigrationsection,"saysformerTreasuryDepartmentemployeeEdwardBernstein."Theirattitudewas,`Ifwe'repatient,wefindthattheproblemsoftheJewsinGermanyarenotreallylife-threatening." ButforKurtKleinandotherGerman-AmericanJewswithrelativesoverseas,patiencewasacommoditytheycouldn'tafford.Bytheendof1941,theNazishadmurderedhalfamillionJews.Althoughtrainsregularlyheadedtofullyoperationalkillingcentersbythespringof1942,the"finalsolution"wasstillawell-guardedsecret.ThatsummertheStateDepartmentwasadvisedbyGerhartReigner,therepresentativeofaJewishorganizationinGeneva,ofNaziplanstoexterminatealltheJewsinEurope.Theirresponsewastodismisstheinformation,callingit"awildrumorinspiredbyJewishfears." "TheStateDepartmentwasactivelyblockinginformationaboutthegenocide,"sayshistorianDavidWyman."Rooseveltrefusedtofocusontheissue.TheAmericanchurcheswerelargelysilent...andthepresshadlittletosay--andburiedthatlittleontheinnerpages.SoitfelltoJewishactiviststobringtheinformationtotheAmericanpublic." IttookprotestsandpetitionsfromJewishorganizationsandfinallytheTreasuryDepartment,headedbyHenryMorgenthau,touncovertheStateDepartment'sdeliberateobstructionofrescue."SecretaryMorgenthau,whovaluedaboveallelsehisrelationshipwiththepresident,neverthelessfelthehadtoputhimselfonthelineandbethespokesmanonthisissue,"recallsJohnPehleoftheTreasuryDepartment. Atlast,onJanuary16,1944,PresidentFranklinRooseveltmetwithMorgenthauintheOvalOffice.Sixdayslater,Rooseveltofficiallyreversedthegovernment'spolicyofobstruction.HesignedExecutiveOrder9417,creatingtheWarRefugeeBoard,whichwasinstructedto"takeallmeasurestorescuevictimsofenemyoppressioninimminentdangerofdeath." "Intheend,theWarRefugeeBoardplayedavitalroleinsavingthelivesof200,000Jews,"saysWyman,"averyvaluablecontribution,tobesure.Butthenumberisterriblysmallcomparedtothetotalofsixmillionkilled.TheBoarddidprovethatafewgoodpeople--ChristiansandJews--couldfinallybreakthroughthewallsofindifference.ThegreatshameisthatifRoosevelthadcreatedtheboardayearearlier[it]couldhavesavedtensofthousands,evenhundredsofthousandsmore--andintheprocess,haverescuedtheconscienceofthenation."…