Jewish American Rights

Anti-Semitism in American During the 1930s prejudice toward Jews was widespread in American culture and everyday social life. Universities limited the admission of Jewish students through informal quotas, and certain neighborhoods and social clubs excluded Jews.

More Anti-Semitism Actively fueling extreme anti-semitism, the "radio priest" Father Charles Coughlin maligned Jews on his national program that reached millions of listeners. In the June 12, 1936, issue of his newspaper Social Justice, Coughlin castigated Jews as "Christ killers," "Shylocks," and "Bolsheviks."

Some Statistics ► The proportion of Americans holding views about Jews that are unquestionably anti-Semitic has dropped to 12% in 1998, from 20% in ► The 1998 survey reveals that slightly more than one-in-ten (12%) Americans – or between 20 and 25 million adults -- hold a collection of views about Jews which are unquestionably anti-Semitic. ► For example, only one-in-twenty (5%) college graduates fall into the most anti-Semitic category in the 1998 survey, compared to about one-in-five (18%) citizens who have no more than a high school education.

Rights for All ► For nearly a century, the American Jewish Committee has been on the frontlines in the battle for civil rights, working for equality through legislation, advocacy and media campaigns. Civil rights for Jews and all Americans is one of the most important areas of concern

Leo Frank ► Leo Max Frank (17 April August 1915) was an American Jew convicted of the rape and murder of a young girl. His trial and lynching by prominent citizens in Marietta, Georgia in 1915 led to the founding of the Anti- Defamation League. ► The manager of a pencil factory in Atlanta, Georgia, Frank was convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence of murdering and raping an employee, 13 year old Mary Phagan. ► Frank was kidnapped from prison by a mob of prominent citizens calling themselves 'The Knights of Mary Phagan', and lynched.

Trial ► The case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, and much of it was contradictory. The defense brought a numerous witnesses who attested to Frank's alibi, which did not leave him enough time to have committed the crime. ► Frank spoke on his own behalf, by making an unsworn Statement as allowed by Georgia Code, Section 1036; it did not permit any cross-examination without his consent. Most of his 4-hour speech consisted of an extremely long and detailed analysis of the accounting work he had done the day of Phagan's murder, meant to show that the act was too time-consuming for him to have committed the murder. He ended with a description of how he saw the crime,

Peer Pressure ► With the sensational coverage, public sentiment in Atlanta turned strongly against Frank. The defense requested a mistrial because it felt the jurors had been intimidated, but the motion was denied. In case of an acquittal, the judge feared for the safety of Frank and his lawyers, so he brokered a deal in which they would not be present when the verdict was read. Frank was convicted of murder.

In Conclusion ► Leo Frank was convicted of a crime, sentenced, and put to death because he was a Jew, the people of his community had a very mean outlook on minorities, and the face of certain politics in the South changed, because of the outcome of the trial. It set a precedent and caused the government to take a look at how the justice system ran years later!