In 1922, Republican New York Congressman Fiorello La Guardia ran for reelection and was opposed by a Tammany backed Jewish candidate. Sensing the opportunity to drive a wedge between La Guardia and his Jewish supporters, the opposition circulated a flier in the Jewish tenements calling La Guardia “a pronounced Jew hater.” La Guardia fought back in a most unusual manner. He challenged his opponent to debate all issues, including the charge that he was a Jew hater. He imposed one condition – the entire debate must be spoken exclusively in Yiddish. Completely stunned, his opponent could not accept the proposal. La Guardia won reelection.
La Guardia, nicknamed the Little Flower due to his shortness, was born in 1882 in Greenwich Village to parents of different religions. His Catholic father was named Achille Luigi Carlo La Guardia and his observant Jewish mother was Irene Lazzato Coen. To maintain their heritage within the home, Achille spoke Italian to Fiorello while Irene spoke to him in Yiddish. La Guardia became fluent in both languages. Fiorello had earned a great reputation as a young attorney among the Lower East Side’s immigrant Jewish garment workers by representing many of them in court without charge. He also became an early advocate for Jewish rights.
In 1934, as the newly elected Mayor of New York City, La Guardia became an early foe of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, calling Hitler a “perverted maniac.” La Guardia warned that Hitler planned to conduct the “complete annihilation of Jews in Germany.” The German government called La Guardia a “Dirty Talmud Jew.” Secretary of State Cordell Hull complained to President Roosevelt about the New York Mayor’s conduct hurting America’s relationship with Germany. Roosevelt not only refused to silence La Guardia, but he privately agreed with him.
In 1937, a scandal erupted involving the sale of bootleg contraceptives to students at several high schools in New York. The German press blamed the “Jew La Guardia” for this immorality. La Guardia fired back by stating that the only city official competent to deal with the German press allegation was the Deputy Sanitation Commissioner, or the individual in charge of sewage disposal. In 1938, at a rally at Madison Square Garden of 20,000 Jewish supporters against Hitler and his fascist anti-Semitic government, La Guardia called Hitler and his Nazi regime a great threat to world peace in the face of indifference to human rights violations abroad and growing isolation at home. He urged the world to face up to the Nazi’s and confront Hitler. Unfortunately, the world was not yet ready to listen to the Little Flower. One of the most beloved and colorful American politicians, La Guardia is fondly remembered reading the comic strip over the radio to New York/New Jersey children (including myself) during the citywide newspaper strike.
Sources: Miami’s Community Newspapers, “Historically Yours – La Guardia, The Jews and Hitler,”: Daily News, “Mayor La Guardia stood tall at 5-foot-2 against Hitler’s Nazi Regime as most American pals clammed up in denial,”: Wikipedia, “Fiorello H. La Guardia.”
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