ABSTRACT
When war broke out in September, 1939, American Jewry anticipated a long and bloody conflict which would leave it in the position of the leading Jewish community in the world, and the only one capable of assisting those trapped by the war in Europe. They also suspected that this responsibility would not be relinquished after the war ended. Beyond this realization, little could be readily assumed, as the future of Jewish communities in Europe was highly uncertain and news reports concerning them were confused. 1
