President Franklin Roosevelt's "courage and integrity" was the driving force behind America's fight against Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, former Ambassador to the United Nations William J. vanden Heuvel told an audience in Rocky 3 last night.
"At a time when Anti-Semitism was prevalent even in America, FDR never wavered in his support for the Jewish people," Heuvel said.
He said Americans began referring to the president as Franklin Delano Rosenberg because of his "pro-Jew sentiment."
Heuvel said Roosevelt was not intimidated by Congress's reluctance to assist Eastern European Jews and invited Jewish refugee exiles to the White House during his presidency "to make a point."
Roosevelt "gave Jews dignity and self respect. He understood their anguish," he said.
Heuvel listed the names of Jewish individuals who were part of Roosevelt's "inner circle because of their integrity and talent, not because of their ethnicity."
At a time when he was combating his own failing health, Roosevelt also aided Jews by forcing Congress to face the challenges of the war in Europe, Heuvel said.
"FDR was the greatest mobilizing force behind American involvement in World War II" at a time when "Congress and the American people wanted a neutral foreign policy," he said.
Several audience members asked Heuvel about America's delayed response to the Holocaust during a question and answer session that followed his speech.
Two members of the audience continuously demanded an answer from Heuvel regarding "why the United States did not bomb the railroad or Auschwitz concentration camp.
One woman persisted in questioning Heuvel until another listener interrupted her to request Heuvel be allowed to finish his speech.
Heuvel reminded the audience that "we have to judge FDR, his predecessor Eisenhower and Churchill in their time."
"FDR lifted America on its knees and embraced a desperate world," he said.
Heuvel is President of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. He has served as Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as U.S. Representative to the European Office of the UN.
Heuvel's speech was co-sponsored by the Daniel Webster Legal Society, the McSpadden Public Issues Forum, Women in Politics, Hillel, the Government Department and the Class of 2000.
