Page 26 - Jewish News _August 2021_

26A August 2021 JEWISH INTEREST

The Berlin Summer Olympics, 1936

By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD
traddling July and August, we now, one athlete with a Jewish back- France, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Owens the opportunity to win his
will be enjoying (hopefully) the ground could compete for Germany. the Netherlands, discussion took place fourth gold medal, the speculation has
Sstaging of the delayed Games of Helene Mayer, who had a Jewish fa- over whether the Games should per- ever since been that in the aftermath of
the XXXII Olympiad. The Games are ther, was a world champion fencer who haps be relocated, while throughout Owens’s earlier victories, Avery Brund-
due to finish on August 8, providing had already won a gold medal at the Europe, exiled political opponents of age did not want to add to Hitler’s em-
enough of a link to 1928 Amsterdam Games. With an eye the Nazis kept up the pressure for a barrassment by having two Jews win
permit the marking to the prospect of her winning another boycott. gold medals. Suggestions have been
of another Olympic gold medal for Germany, she became Individual Jewish athletes from a consistent that the omission of Stoller
Games 85 years ago. the token Jew permitted to compete. As few countries elected to take matters and Glickman was deliberately anti-
On August 1, it turned out, she won silver in the indi- into their own hands and refused to semitic, and an appeasing of Hitler.
1936, the Summer vidual foil event. attend. In this regard, brave athletes An obvious act of appeasement
Olympics opened in The prospect of other Jewish ath- such as South African Sid Kiel, and was the tortured debate that took
Berlin. German dic- letes competing for Germany was de- Americans Milton Green and Norman place within the hierarchy of Britain’s
Dr. Paul Bartrop tator Adolf Hitler nied, however. Four-time world record Cahners, should be mentioned. BBC over whether to accredit its fore-
used the Games to showcase the Third holder and 10-time German national The position of the United States most sporting commentator, the for-
Reich and conceal his regime’s antise- champion in shot put and discus throw, was crucial, and in September 1934 mer Olympic gold medalist from the
mitic and militaristic intentions, at- Lilli Henoch, was excluded; she was the U.S. Olympic Committee accept- 1924 Paris Games, Harold Abrahams
tempting instead to portray a peaceful later deported and murdered in the ed a German invitation to visit on a (his story at these Games was later
and tolerant Germany to the interna- Riga ghetto in 1942. Gretel Bergmann, fact-finding mission. U.S. Olympic told in the movie Chariots of Fire).
tional community. an internationally recognized champi- Committee president Avery Brund- It was felt that the presence in Berlin
The city had been awarded the on high jumper, was replaced on the age concluded that he had not found of Abrahams, who was Jewish, could
Games in 1931, prior to Hitler’s ascent German team by Dora Ratjen, who any discrimination against Germany’s have been embarrassing to the British
to power, but the event quickly became was later revealed to be a male who Jews, becoming a major supporter of government. The BBC’s Controller of
associated with the Nazi regime. From had been raised as a girl. the Games being held in Berlin and Programs, Cecil Graves, wrote to his
the start, it was controversial. The of- To reassure foreign opinion, Ber- arguing that “politics has no place in colleagues, “We all regard the German
ficial Nazi Party paper, the Völkischer lin was purged of all traces of Nazi sport.” By 1935 he had convinced the action against the Jews as quite irratio-
Beobachter, wrote in the strongest antisemitism. Local Party authorities U.S. Amateur Athletic Union that an nal and intolerable … but would it be
terms that Jews and Blacks, regardless removed street signs bearing such American team should be sent to Berlin. discourteous to send a Jew commenta-
of their country of origin, should not be slogans as “Jews not wanted” from The American Jewish Congress tor to a country where Jews are taboo?”
allowed to participate. Berlin’s main tourist areas, while all and the Jewish Labor Committee sup- After much deliberation, Abrahams
The German Olympic Committee vagrants and Roma (known as “Gyp- ported a boycott, but they had no say was sent to Berlin, with Graves con-
denied Jews all opportunity of repre- sies”) were physically removed to a in what was effectively an institution- cluding that the BBC should inform
senting Germany. When the possibility specially constructed “holding camp” al project by the American Olympic the Germans of the BBC decision and
of an international boycott was threat- outside the city. Committee. “leave them to raise any objections.”
ened – robbing Germany not only of In view of such developments, Most African-American news- The Berlin Olympics torch relay
the Games, but also of both the show- there was considerable debate out- papers, on the other hand, supported from Mount Olympus in Greece was
case the Nazis were looking for and of side Germany prior to the Games over participation, arguing that this was an the first of its kind, and the Games were
much-desired foreign currency – there whether a boycott should go ahead. opportunity for Nazi racial theories to the first to have live television cover-
was a token relaxing of the racism: In some countries, notably Britain, be challenged and defeated. To some age. Despite these advances, they were
degree, they were right. The iconic also to be the final Olympic Games for
Jesse Owens won four gold medals in 12 years owing to World War II. Ironi- “Golden Jews” by Yoni Glatt, koshercroswords@gmail.com
the sprint and long jump events, and cally, the next Games, slated for 1940,
became the most successful athlete to were to have been held in Tokyo.
compete in Berlin. Paul R. Bartrop is Professor Emeritus
NEVER FORGET
On the day of the men’s 4×100 of History and the former Director of
relay, Jewish American sprinters Sam the Center for Holocaust and Geno-
Holocaust, Genocide 1,912 Sarasota-Manatee Stoller and Marty Glickman were cide Research at Florida Gulf Coast

and Tolerance Education students learned about the omitted from the team. While this gave University.
Holocaust from survivors
last year
o
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B
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#NEVERFORGET Be in the Know!
Ensuring we
Your story of survival moved
me and I will remember you
for the rest of my life.
– North Port High School Student
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