Why Hitler Became The Dictator Of Germany - 2490 Words

When Adolf Hitler became the dictator of Germany in 1933, his opportunity to spread hatred towards Jews began. Due to a 17 year old Jew named Hershel Grynzpan who shot and killed a member of the German staff, Hitler decided to take extreme measures and eliminate the Jewish race (â€Å"Assassination†). With the help of his complaint Nazi members, he captured 300,000 Jews in Kristallnacht; a night in which Nazis completely destroyed Jewish property. They were taken to concentration camps where they were experimented on or killed. As the extermination of all Jews began, many of them started fleeing the country; however, few countries, including the United States offered to succor (Wyman ix). Many of the Jews who tried to enter the United States†¦show more content†¦Most headed to the United States, escaping violence and hatred towards them. After arriving to Ellis Island, Jews were eager to become American citizens (Takaki 186). In their hopes of becoming Americans, Jewi sh parents pushed their children to get an education so that they could find other occupations besides factory work (Takaki 187). As a result, Jewish students â€Å" thirst for knowledge† filled universities (Takaki 187). In 1920, the increasing amounts of Jews in Harvard provoked anti Semitic complaints (Takaki 187). Anti Semitism is â€Å"a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews† (â€Å"Defining†). Racial descriptions were circulating: â€Å" They are governed by selfishness.† â€Å"They do not mix. They destroy the unity of the college† (Takaki 188). The uprising success of Jews in the United States was encouraging anti- Semitism (Takaki 188). In a letter to the Board of Overseers in 1922, President Abbott Lawrence Lowell suggested a quota to limit the enrollment of Jewish students in Harvard (Takaki 188). Also, as second- generation Jews â€Å" became educated and began seeking white- collar employment, they o ften encountered discrimination† (Takaki 188). High status law firms and quality hospitals turned away Jewish lawyers and doctors. University faculty jobs were also closed to all Jews as well (Takaki 188). When Nazism started to rise in Germany, Jewish Americans not only had to deal with the extermination of fellow Jews back home but