What Really Happened at the Controversial Rally at Madison Square Garden in 1939?

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a political rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Despite criticism from some opposition leaders, the Garden has held many key political events, including Republican and Democratic National Conventions. It also happens to be where Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

Note: This is not a political article. It simply provides insight into the controversial 1939 rally held at Madison Square Garden and related events.

Madison Square Garden — A Historic Arena in New York City

Madison Square Garden was an arena in New York City. It opened in 1925 and was the third building to be called by that name. This version, sometimes called MSG III, was located on Eighth Avenue, between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan.

• MSG I was located on the northeast corner of East 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
• MSG II was located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
• The present-day Madison Square Garden, MSG IV, is located between Seventh and Eighth Avenues from 31st to 33rd streets above Pennsylvania Station.

MSG III was open during World War II and held up to 20,000 spectators at one time. It was the site of several rallies related to anti-Jewish sentiment that helped cause World War II.

• In 1933, the American Jewish Congress held a rally to protest the actions of the German government, which was largely controlled by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP).
• A pro-German group known as the German American Bund held a rally in 1939.
• On March 9, 1943, Jewish leaders staged a performance of “We Will Never Die” before a sold-out audience of 20,000.

Madison Square Garden, 1941Photo byWikimedia

New York’s Jewish Community

In the 1930s and 1940s, roughly 4% of Americans were Jewish, and a large number of them lived in and around New York City. As the National Socialist German Workers’ Party gained power, they kept a close watch on events in Europe, which affected their friends and family still living in Europe.

The American Jewish Congress Rally of 1933

After Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the American Jewish Congress organized an opposition rally at MSG III. The rally, led by Rabbi Stephen Wise:

• Initiated a boycott of German-made goods, which lasted until the United States entered World War II in December 1941.
• Planned a National Day of Protest to be held on March 27.

After a day of fasting and prayer, over 55,000 people gathered at MSG III and in the nearby streets to protest Germany’s actions.

Rabbi Wise called for an immediate end to:

• Anti-Semitic activities and propaganda in Germany.
• Economic discrimination and physical violence against Jews.

The German American Bund Rally of 1939

Nearly six years later, in February 1939, a pro-German group known as the German American Bund held a rally at MSG III. Labeled a “pro-Americanism rally,” it coincided with the nation’s celebration of George Washington’s birthday and was led by Fritz Julius Kuhn.

VIDEO: A Night at the Garden from PBS.

During the rally, Kuhn delivered a speech that disparaged Jews and the United States. Outside the arena, approximately 100,000 people protested the rally.

Isadore Greenbaum, a young Jewish man, stormed the stage after Kuhn’s speech and shouted, “Down with Hitler!” He was tackled by guards and beaten while the crowd cheered.

New York police removed Greenbaum from the stage and arrested him for disorderly conduct. He refused to pay the $25 fine and spent the night in jail until supporters bailed him out. During his arraignment, the judge asked Greenbaum why he had acted so boldly. He said:

“I went down to the Garden without any intention of interrupting, but being that they talked so much against my religion and there was so much persecution I lost my head and felt it was my duty to talk.”

Walter Winchell Responds

Walter Winchell, a famous journalist, criticized the rally, condemning it on his radio program.

1943 Premier of We Will Never Die

Jewish screenwriter Ben Hecht wanted to highlight the atrocities that were occurring in Europe and urge the American government to act.

Hecht, along with people from Hollywood and Broadway, created a stage production called “We Will Never Die.”

On March 9, 1943, “We Will Never Die” debuted before a sold-out audience of 20,000 at MSG III. The performance blended traditional Hebrew prayers with scenes of Jewish soldiers fighting for the United States. The final scene depicted a future peace conference negotiating an end to the war, haunted by the ghosts of fallen Jews.

One of the narrators said, “No voice is heard to cry halt to the slaughter, no government speaks to bid the murder of human millions end. But we here tonight have a voice. Let us raise it.”

Corrections

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