Jewish Americans and the Holocaust. The Holocaust discourse in Jewish American newspapers, 1945-2000.

Abstract

This thesis researches the Holocaust discourse in Jewish American newspapers in the period between 1945 and 2000. It analyzes the changes in this discourse, and what this shows about the self-image of Jewish Americans. The analysis is based on the theory of representation by Stuart Hall, and uses the method of digital newspaper analysis to form its arguments. The development of this discourse is analyzed in relation to the social and cultural changes Jewish American experienced in this period. Besides this, a comparison is made between the Holocaust public discourse among Jewish Americans and the development of this discourse in the Gentile American public sphere. The newspaper analysis is divided into two periods – 1945 until 1970 and 1970 until 2000 – because the late 1970s and early 1980s mark a dramatic increase in the development of the Holocaust discourse in Gentile America. This thesis argues that for Jewish Americans, the Holocaust was inherently connected to Judaism. In a time where assimilation and Americanization for America’s Jewry became possible and popular, the Holocaust discourse served as a reminder of their Jewish background, culture, and religion.