Why do Jews live in Germany today despite the Holocaust?

Answer 1

One usually could not simply leave Germany. One needed somewhere and something to go to. It was the 1930s and just about all countries had very strict Immigration rules, which were enforced. Those wanting to emigrate also needed a job to go to - or had to be supported abroad by family or by charities. Moreover, from 1934 onwards it was very difficult to take money out of Nazi Germany without government approval, which was not given to people fleeing the country. (On the contrary, they had to pay for permission to leave).

Britain and Australia, for example, required a financial guarantee before admitting refugees as there were fears that they might become a burden to the public ... (Britain relaxed some of these requirements in some cases late from late 1938 onwards).

The whole situation was very difficult indeed.

Answer 2

They live there because the Holocaust isn't happening right now. It's the same in America - Black people still live here, even though we had racism problems back then and still do. Germany is a home for many jews, and they have the choice to stay there if they want to. ___ The question seems to suggest that Jews oughtto hate Germans. Hatred is very dangerous ... What's more, Germany has tried to make amends. There is even a law that allows Jews to settle in Germany from anwhere in the world, with few questions asked.

Answer 3

Many of those who did not leave either had difficulties leaving (as noted in the Community Answer below) or honestly did not think that the situation would escalate to the level of violence and genocide that it ultimately would.

However, it is worth noting that between Hitler's ascension in January 1933 and the invasion of Poland in 1939, roughly 320,000 (of 523,000) German Jews fled Germany in fear of what would ultimately come.

Answer 4

Because, largely speaking, they weren't able to leave. Other countries weren't admitting Jews in the 1930s-40s, period.

Until the First World War, there hadn't been so great of a problem with immigration; but there was also not that much motivation for mass movement of Jewish populations, since anti-Semitism was relatively static, ubiquitous, and low-level (with the exception of Russia). But by the time the 1930s had arrived, with the sudden spike in hatred of Jews by Germany, nationalism and border-control had also spiked, and people were suddenly unable to immigrate freely to the various destinations. America (for example), which had accepted 1,800,000 Jews before World War One, suddenly made a drastic reduction in the numbers permitted to arrive there. The same thing happened (for other reasons) in the British Mandate in Israel (Palestine).

The only place in the world to which Jews could enter uninhibited was Shanghai; and about 25,000 did so, despite the vast distance and the hardships involved. Even there, the Nazis badgered their Japanese allies to obliterate the new Jewish community.

Another point is that no one predicted that the Nazis would overrun all of Europe; so that many Jews who did move out of Germany were killed anyway.