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In the event of a government shutdown, our Museum will remain open to the public through at least December 24, 2024. More information about visiting the Museum can be found on Plan Your Visit.

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Americans and the Holocaust

Exhibition

What did Americans know? What more could have been done?

This exhibition is a portrait of American society that shows how the Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism shaped responses to Nazism and the Holocaust. It reveals how much information was available to Americans at the time and asks why rescuing Jews did not become a priority, except for a few individuals who took the risk to help. 

This exhibition is located in the Sidney Kimmel and Rena Rowan Exhibition Gallery. It is free and open to the public during Museum hours. No passes required.

This exhibition was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine.  Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners—Joan & Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. 

The Museum’s exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990. 

Related

  • The United States and the Holocaust

    Although rescuing Jews was not a priority for the United States, more than 200,000 Jews found refuge in the United States from 1933 to 1945, most before the end of 1941.

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  • US Newspapers and the Holocaust

    Help tell America’s story. Together, we can uncover what ordinary people around the country could have known about the Holocaust from reading their local newspapers in the years 1933–1945.

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  • American Responses

    A look back at two seminal events in Holocaust history involving the United States invites reflection on the role of individuals, organizations,and governments in confronting hatred and mass atrocities.

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