A call to Jewish athletes not to compete for places on the American Olympic Team was issued yesterday by Samuel Untermyer as president of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League to Champion Human Rights.
Mr. Untermyer scored the efforts of American Olympic officials to gloss over the race discrimination issue in moving to accept the invitation to the 1936 Olympic Games which are to be held under the auspices of the Nazis in Berlin.
He said: “My advice to the athletes and others of world Jewry is not only not to compete but to keep as far away as possible from any form of participation in the Olympic Athletic Games to be held in Berlin in 1936. Out of decent consideration for their race, it is unthinkable that any self-respecting Jew could accept the hospitality of a country that persists in so insulting, degrading and persecuting our people.
“Any man with a Jewish ancestor, with a drop of Jewish blood in his veins, who crosses Germany’s border, or accepts its hospitality, is deserving only of the contempt of his fellowmen, be they Jews or Christians.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
