Was President Franklin Deleanor Roosvelt anti-Jewish?

As I have always mentioned, that as an educator, truthsayer and as a histrorian. I spend hours doing research of historical documents in my hours of research to verify historical truth. 

As a case in point I wanted to clarify as to why there are arguments of FDR for being antisemitic. 

Many state it was because he did not move to challenge or significantly change the restrictive U.S. immigration quotas established in the 1920s, which severely limited the number of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism who could not enter the U.S. even after the persecution began in Germany.

To fully comprehend the actions of President one must realize the pragmatic fears of the political anti-immigrant and antisemitic backlash, as well as the economic constraints of the Great Depression, that played a major role in his considerations.

To fully comprehend history one must focus on WHAT was during the period that were the major influences of an individual and their actions.

Appointments to Office: 

FDR appointed more Jewish people to high-level federal positions, including his cabinet (like Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr.) and the Supreme Court (Felix Frankfurter, joining Louis Brandeis), than all previous presidents combined. This was seen by many American Jews at the time as a significant sign of support against the backdrop of widespread antisemitism.

A case in point was Sidney Hillman, the founding president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). Hillman was a prime practitioner of Social Unionism and became one of FDR's most trusted labor and political advisors.

Hillman worked closely with Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins (the first female cabinet member and a strong New Deal proponent) to draft landmark legislation, including the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (which established the minimum wage and the 40-hour work week).

FDR appointed Hillman to high-level positions in the administration, notably on the National Recovery Administration (NRA) boards and later as Associate Director General of the Office of Production Management during the buildup to WWII. This gave the philosophy of Social Unionism a seat at the highest tables of government

Political Support: 

American Jews overwhelmingly supported FDR, giving him the largest percentage of the Jewish vote in presidential history (up to 90% in some elections). He was often regarded as the "best friend" the Jewish people had in the White House.

Condemnation of Nazis and the Holocaust: 

FDR publicly condemned the persecution of Jews in Germany, recalling the U.S. ambassador after Kristallnacht in 1938. In 1944, he established the War Refugee Board (WRB), which was a government agency tasked with rescuing and providing relief for victims of Nazi persecution, including Jews. The WRB is credited with saving tens of thousands of lives.

Support for a Jewish Homeland: 

He publicly backed the idea of a Jewish homeland in the Mandated area of Palestine.

It was the concepts and leaders of "Social Unionism," particularly those coming out of the Jewish-led garment unions, that served as a significant and direct inspiration for key policies within Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

Jewish-led unions, particularly the ILGWU (International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union) and the ACWA, had spent the early 20th century building a "little welfare state" for their members—offering services like unemployment funds, healthcare, and education. 

When the Great Depression hit, these union leaders argued to FDR that the federal government needed to step in and apply that model of comprehensive social protection on a national scale.

The core principle of Social Unionism—that an organization must serve its members' total well-being, not just their wages—was integrated into the federal government's approach to the Great Depression during the FDR administration in the Social Security Act (1935), Public Works Administration (PWA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA, 1933) and the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act, 1935).

The percieved  NON pro-Jewish stance:

What many see as his NON pro-Jewish stance was embodied in the 1939 incident with the SS St. Louis, a ship carrying over 900 Jewish refugees, which was denied entry to the U.S. and forced to return to Europe, where many passengers later perished in the Holocaust.

The decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration to refuse entry to the Jewish refugees aboard the German liner SS St. Louis in June 1939 was a devastating consequence of several powerful forces at the time: strict immigration law, overwhelming public opposition, and political caution.

America during the post WWI period went through a severe "Isolationist  Period" followed by the deep financial crisis of the "Great Depression" Pragmatic fears about a political anti-immigrant and antisemitic backlash, as well as the economic constraints of the Great Depression, played a major role in this policy.

Furthermore, FDR was constrained by the political and legal environment, choosing not to use his presidential authority to circumvent those constraints for this specific group of refugees.

Here are the primary reasons for FDR 's administration's refusal

 The Immovable Quota System:

The single greatest legal barrier was the Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act), which established strict national origin quotas.

Quota Already Filled: 

The German/Austrian quota for 1939 was already filled, and there was a massive waiting list for visas—reportedly nearly 140,000 people.

The Waiting List Precedent:

The U.S. State Department, which managed visa applications, argued that granting visas to the St. Louis passengers would be unfair and illegal, as it would allow them to "jump the queue" ahead of thousands of other German Jews who had been waiting for years. Officials insisted the passengers must wait their turn and qualify for visas before being admissible.

Lack of Documentation:

Most passengers on the St. Louis had valid entrance certificates for Cuba, not U.S. immigration visas. Therefore, legally, they were not eligible to enter the country.

Overwhelming Anti-Immigrant Public Opinion

FDR was a pragmatist and a politician keenly aware of public sentiment, especially as he was considering an unprecedented third term.

At the time the public opinion polls showed massive resistance to increasing immigration. A January 1939 poll, just months before the St. Louis sailed, indicated that 83% of Americans opposed accepting additional European refugees.

Isolationism and Nativism:

The prevailing mood in America was isolationist and nativist. Americans did not want to get involved in Europe's problems or introduce more foreigners who might upset the social or political order.

Congressional Resistance:

Congress was fiercely anti-immigrant. The President knew that any attempt to ask Congress to pass a special law to admit the passengers (like the failed Wagner-Rogers Bill, which sought to admit 20,000 refugee children outside the quota) would be swiftly defeated, costing him precious political capital needed for his New Deal programs and later, the war effort.

Economic and National Security Concerns

The Great Depression: The economy was still struggling, and there was widespread fear that immigrants would take scarce American jobs or become "public charges" (financially dependent on the government). The State Department strictly enforced the public charge rule.

Fear of Spies:

As tensions with Nazi Germany escalated, some U.S. officials, including in the State Department and FBI, expressed fears that Nazi agents or spies could be hidden among the Jewish refugees. Although this fear was largely exaggerated, it contributed to the rationale for strict security screening and refusal.

Conclusion: A Choice of Priorities

While FDR expressed sympathy for the plight of the German Jews (and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, actively lobbied him to help the St. Louis passengers), he ultimately chose political pragmatism and national unity over humanitarian intervention in this specific case.

He did not believe the crisis of the 937 refugees justified the massive political risk of challenging the will of Congress and the overwhelming anti-immigrant sentiment of the American public. This decision remains one of the most controversial and tragic moments of his presidency.

In the end tragically the SS St. Louis was eventually forced to return to Europe. 

Some of the hapless refugees were accepted by Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. 

In the end tragically, of the 620 passengers who landed on the Continent, 254 were murdered in the Holocaust after the Nazis conquered those countries.