195: Holiday Special IX: Chanukah in Warsaw & Christmas in Washington, D.C.

“This year very few Hanukkah candles were lit.” / “This is a strange Christmas Eve.” This is the story of 1941’s wartime holiday season. It’s difficult to conjure up a more miserable picture than the Warsaw Ghetto, but Jewish residents are doing their best to stay close to their faith in spite of the dismal circumstances. In a sermon that draws parallels between this hungry, fearful group and the Maccabees of old, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira will bring a little light to these dark times. Meanwhile, Christmas in the U. S. comes just as the country is shifting into gear for war with Japan and Germany. President Roosevelt projects confidence and hope at the annual White House Christmas tree lighting, and he’s even brought along a special guest… (a much better orator than Santa). Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and happy holidays to all. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com https://www.htdspodcast.com/ and go deep into episode bibliographies https://www.htdspodcast.com/bibliography and book recommendations https://www.htdspodcast.com/book-recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/257926761619618/ get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette https://www.htdspodcast.com/newsletters-1 come see a live show https://www.htdspodcast.com/live-shows get HTDS merch https://htds-team-shop.fourthwall.com/ or become an HTDS premium https://htds.supercast.com/ member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part ofAudacy media network. https://www.audacy.com/ Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contacthttps://audacyinc.com/contactAudacyinc.com http://audacyinc.com

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Greg Jackson?

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• 0:43Greg Jackson?

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• 1:28Greg Jackson?

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• 2:22Greg Jackson?

  It's likely Sunday, December 14th, 1941. Or to put that another way, it's one of the eight days after December 14th in the year 5702 of the Hebrew calendar. We're in Warsaw, Poland, in a neighborhood enclosed by a brick wall. The area is split along Polno Street with a small section to the southeast and a large section to the north. What used to be a bustling, popular locale has now become a dark, cramped, dismal, and downright dangerous place. This is all due to the Nazi regime forcing the city's Jews to relocate.

• 3:04Greg Jackson?

  And inside this walled-off area of the city, Rabbi Kalonymus Shapiro, a well-known Hasidic leader in the Polish Jewish community, is hard at work. He's preparing for what might be one of the most important sermons of his life on this Chanukah, or Hanukkah, as it's often anglicized. We can only imagine his final preparations. Is this great rabbi scanning the pages of his Yiddish text, making last-minute edits? Perhaps he's checking to see if he has any candles or oil for a proper menorah in this resource-starved area? Or could he be reciting traditional afternoon prayers in the hopes that it'll help him this evening? Whatever the unknown specifics, let's give the rabbi some space to prepare while we

• 3:48Greg Jackson?

  better acquaint ourselves with the details of the situation this well-respected man finds himself in.

• 3:56Greg Jackson?

  As you might have guessed, we're currently in the Warsaw Ghetto. Established in October 1940, it was sealed off from the rest of the city only a month later, and now, in December 1941, the Warsaw Ghetto houses roughly 460,000 people. To put that in perspective, an average of eight to 10 people are living in every single room. Not house-room. It's horrific. Life within the ghetto is marked by inevitable starvation and disease, often leading to death. If you manage to escape, according to a German proclamation likely painted on the ghetto wall, you are, quote, "liable to the death penalty," close quote.

• 4:40Greg Jackson?

  And how do we know the details of this grim world? It's all thanks to the Oineg Shabbos Archive. A Yiddish phrase, Oineg Shabbos roughly translates to "joy of the Sabbath." And in this case, it refers to Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum's clandestine group. They meet on Saturdays, which is the Jewish Sabbath, and are cataloging secret records of life in the ghetto. Before its liquidation and destruction in 1943, Emanuel and his team will bury their careful records in three metal milk cans, hoping someone will dig up the material after the war. Two of those caches of documents will be recovered. As for the third, it will likely be lost to history. But while the full tale of the devastation

• 5:24Greg Jackson?

  and resiliency of the Warsaw Ghetto will come in a later episode, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, in December 1941, something special is happening. Though many Jews here rely on books, music, theater, and more in their attempt to live something resembling a normal life, the festive moods and candle lightings of Hanukkah in 1940 are no more. Ghetto resident Chayen Kaplan writes in his diary that, "This year, very few Hanukkah candles were lit." But that doesn't mean the holiday will come and go without recognition. See, Hanukkah marks Jewish survival. It commemorates a victory of a second-century BCE group of Jews,

• 6:09Greg Jackson?

  known as the Maccabees, over their Salucid oppressors. At the time, Salucid ruler Antiochus IV had made it illegal for Jews to practice their faith. Being outwardly Jewish became punishable by death. As the fighting raged, Jewish leader Judas Maccabee succeeded in ousting Salucid troops from the Second Temple in Jerusalem. In the process of re-consecrating the temple, the Maccabees found that oil for a recovered Golden menorah lasted eight days and nights instead of just one. It was an absolute miracle, taken as proof that God has always protected his people. The parallels between Maccabean bravery and Warsaw Jews bravery seem all too clear to Rabbi Shapiro on this Hanukkah.

• 6:53Greg Jackson?

  I mean, being Jewish is punishable by death? Yeah, unfortunately, the Rabbi realizes his people have been here before. And today's sermon, like many others by Rabbi Shapiro, will be buried in the Oineg Shabbos archive. And that's why you and I can experience this sermon right now. So come on, let's hear the Rabbi speak.

• 7:19Greg Jackson?

  We don't know where, within the brick-walled ghetto Rabbi Shapiro is speaking, nor do we know how many congregants are present. But we do know that, as he shares this ancient story of hope and survival, he holds the rapt attention of young children, the elderly, and every age in between. Almost certainly speaking in Yiddish, the Rabbi asks the crowd, "Why is it that one has his faith damaged by questioning God because of the suffering that Jews endure these days? And not because of the suffering Jews have endured from time immemorial? Those who say that Jews never had to endure such torments and suffering are mistaken. Such torments were the fate of Jews during the destruction of the temple."

• 8:05Greg Jackson?

  Rabbi Shapiro now transitions into a clearer articulation of the shared struggles of the Jewish people throughout history. The great leader quotes many seminal Jewish texts. We don't have to unpack all of those, but just keep in mind that when he says "your," he's referring to God. And so, he continues, "The Greeks also attempted to make them forget your Torah and violate the decrees of your will. And they did this with tyranny and torture of Israel. But then, the Jews knew that the purpose of all the physical suffering caused to them by the Greeks was to make them forget your Torah and stray away from your commandments.

• 8:48Greg Jackson?

  And this was their main concern and their main source of suffering. Therefore, their faith grew stronger, and God salvaged them because of their faith."

• 8:59Greg Jackson?

  And it is written in the Hanukkah Liturgy, “The distress of the people of Israel was about the Greeks trying to make them forget, etc.” Meaning, it was not the physical suffering that caused this distress, but rather, the Greeks’ effort to destroy their faith in God. And this is why you, God, stood by them and saved them.

• 9:24Greg Jackson?

  And with that, the Rabbi concludes, hoping that his call to the historic relationship between the Jews and their benevolent God, especially during Hanukkah, have comforted his people. He hopes that it will encourage them to stay devout, to stay close to their faith in these troubling times, even when he himself has moments of uncertainty and doubt. We’ll never know how Rabbi Shapiro’s audience responded, but let’s hope that the sermon brought a feeling of comfort and camaraderie, that perhaps, in the short time this community of sufferers still has to live, just perhaps, there’s still a flicker of joy and hope during Hanukkah of 1941.

• 10:23Greg Jackson?

  Welcome to History That Doesn’t Suck. I’m your professor, Greg Jackson, and I’d like to tell you a story.

• 10:44Greg Jackson?

  I know, not exactly a tale of holiday cheer. This is the reality of the Second World War and the Holocaust. Yet, I would argue that the Rabbi’s story, heartbreaking and harrowing, as it might be, doesn’t have to be reduced to its saddest elements. It’s also a story of a religious leader at his best, bringing solace, love, and a sense of worth to his community in the bleakest of times. And in that regard, his actions are as beautiful as the situation is harrowing.

• 11:17Greg Jackson?

  But having shined a light on this solemn Hanukkah—yes, pun intended— it's time for us to pivot from Warsaw to Washington, or rather, to the White House, as we carry on with this year's Hanukkah and Christmas special, where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is lighting the National Christmas Tree out on the south lawn of the White House. Do you remember when we witnessed Calvin Coolidge inaugurating this Christmas tradition in last year's special? Yeah, it seems to have caught on, and this year Franklin has a little extra Christmas surprise. Or a surprise guest, rather. A bulldog, you might say. You know what? I won't completely ruin the surprise. It'll just have to wait to find out.

• 11:58Greg Jackson?

  So, in keeping with our annual tradition and our specific stories, let me wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays. And with that, let's bum a ride on Santa's sleigh back across the Atlantic and see about getting a special tree to the White House.

• 12:14Speaker 01

  Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas, Roosevelt!

• 12:21Greg Jackson?

  Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States is entering this year's holidays as a belligerent nation. As we know from the last episode, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had no choice but to ask Congress to declare war on Imperial Japan the following day, and Congress obliged. So right now, America's war preparation is in full throttle. As it should be, there's no time to waste, given this two-front war. See, only three days after Congress declares war on Japan, Adolf Hitler decides to enter the fray. He announces Nazi Germany is also at war with the US on December 11. So, needless to say, most Americans are feeling a little less festive this holiday season,

• 13:06Greg Jackson?

  and their president knows. That's why, even as war preparations hit high gear, FDR wants to ensure that this Christmas season is something special for his countrymen. In fact, preparations were already underway for White House Christmas spectacular even before Pearl Harbor. Now, I trust that you recall from our last HTDS Christmas special, episode 171, that President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national Christmas tree on the White House's south lawn in 1923. If not, maybe give yourself a double dose of holiday cheer, go listen to that episode, and come back to us in about a half hour. But either way, the key thing is that this became a White House tradition, and this year Franklin has a truly special tree.

• 13:51Greg Jackson?

  See, just a little while back, in late fall 1941, esteemed members of the Maine Development Commission and the town of Callas partnered with Maine's US Senator Ralph Owen Brewster to write to FDR, offering a Christmas tree from St. Croix Island, which sits right on the watery border of the US and Canada. It's a place of historic Christmas significance. The first celebration of Christmas in the New World, a shared observance between Catholics and Protestants, was supposedly held near the island all the way back in 1604. So now, this clique of far northern New England men would love to see one of this island's trees grace the White House.

• 14:35Greg Jackson?

  Hopeful as they were that FDR would show interest, the group was likely shocked to receive a semi-prompt presidential reply on November 28, 1941. Though not a New Englander, Franklin is an upstate New Yorker, whose family has long vacationed on Canada's Campobello Island, which is only about 1,000 feet from the state of Maine's shore. Franklin wrote back, "We should be very happy indeed to have the Christmas tree from the island near Callas, Maine. It would be just like something from home. As you know, I have a 50-year familiarity with every inch of the St. Croix River, up to and beyond Callas. By the way, the actual site of settlement of De Mont and Champlain has never been definitely proved."

• 15:21Greg Jackson?

  I wish you would get some members of the Maine Historical Society, probably with the aid of a New Brunswick Historical Society, to try to make a definite determination of this. There are several islands, including the one which forms the harbor of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, which claim the honor. As far as I know, no one has ever dug thoroughly to discover foundations, pewterware, or other traces. Such traces must exist. It would be a nice thought to have the Christmas tree from the city where the first Christmas observance on the northern coasts United States was held. Reeling from the events of Pearl Harbor, yet overjoyed at the part they'll play in the national Christmas celebration,

• 16:05Greg Jackson?

  callous natives scrambled to secure the tree.

• 16:11Greg Jackson?

  It's December 9th, 1941. We're on the American island of St. Croix, a small speck of land in the St. Croix River that divides the US state of Maine and Canada's New Brunswick. And right now, one of the island's two inhabitants, lighthouse keeper Elson Smith, is noticing a light shining across the water. It's coming from the US mainland, from Red Beach, off the coast of Callas, Maine. And this one-of-by-see light means that someone is asking for a ferry to bring them out to the island. In no time at all, the spectacled Elson is carrying two guests aboard his boat: businessman John Trimble and Arthur Unavsky. Arthur's involvement is really fun.

• 16:55Greg Jackson?

  A local leader in the community, he's also a Jewish Russian immigrant who, unsure of his actual birthday, has adopted December 25th as his day of celebration. The two locals are also accompanied by an unnamed photographer from the Augusta State Publicity Bureau. Yeah, this is a big deal for the state.

• 17:16Greg Jackson?

  Constance, who's Elson's wife and the only other person living on this island, will later remember how the group of men carefully selects a "beautifully shaped" tree, about eighteen feet high, and one of the very few left on the island. The photographer snaps a picture of Elson near the tree. Everyone is delighted by the gorgeous spruce. But Constance notes, she only approves because this is for the White House. To quote her, "If it hadn't been for a historical purpose, I would have felt quite bad to have it cut down." And so, the eighteen-foot tree, or possibly twelve-foot tree, sources conflict, as usual,

• 17:59Greg Jackson?

  from the very place where Christmas was supposedly first celebrated in North America, is in the care of Maine's balding Republican senator, Ralph Brewster. Soon, it will make its way to the White House. But it's not the only, shall we say, entity making its way to the presidential mansion this Christmas.

• 18:21Greg Jackson?

  It's now mid-December 1941. While British Prime Minister Winston Churchill isn't happy that the US suffered a devastating attack at Pearl Harbor, I can't say he isn't a little relieved that his American counterpart is finally able to be all-in against Nazi and Japanese aggression. In fact, the British bulldog thinks that a face-to-face meeting might be in order. Something like their rendezvous in the waters near Newfoundland back in August, as we heard about in episode 189. Huh. So recent and yet, a time that now feels like another life or universe. Winston writes to his pen pal-turned wartime ally:

• 19:00Speaker 02

  "We could review the whole war plan in light of reality and new facts, as well as the problems of production and distribution."

• 19:11Greg Jackson?

  Just a day after the Christmas tree is cut down on St. Croix, FDR sends a succinct reply: "Delighted to have you here at the White House." Honestly, Winston is probably coming whether or not Franklin is delighted, so the American president might as well stay friendly. This Arcadia Conference, as it is soon dubbed, is a go. Just like their previous meeting, the British PM tries to keep his journey on the down-low. After Winston climbs on board HMS Duke of York on December 12th, his journey takes ten days. News outlets report various destinations: Washington DC, Moscow, the Middle East. You name it, Winston and his entourage could be there.

• 19:56Greg Jackson?

  And as Winston crosses the pond, he's undoubtedly thinking through how he'll pitch his plans to Franklin. In his post-World War II anthologies, Winston will later write that his main goal in meeting FDR this Christmas is to:

• 20:09Speaker 02

  "Persuade the President and the American service chiefs that the defeat of Japan would not spell the defeat of Hitler, but that the defeat of Hitler made the finishing off of Japan merely a matter of time and trouble."

• 20:25Greg Jackson?

  The PM and his staff will work tirelessly to address the issue, but it'll turn out that Franklin already knows. Meanwhile, Winston writes to his wife Clementine:

• 20:36Speaker 02

  "Being in a ship in such weather as this is like being in a prison, with the extra chance of being drowned. No one is allowed on deck, and we have two men with broken arms and legs."

• 20:49Greg Jackson?

  As a result, instead of sailing up the Potomac to DC from Hampton Roads, Virginia, the PM opts to disembark and take a quick flight to the American Capitol.

• 21:03Greg Jackson?

  It's 5:55 PM, December 22nd, 1941. We're at Washington DC's National Airport, or as we in the 21st century will know it, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a plane carrying British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is just landing. And there, on the tarmac, either seated in or leaning against his car in order to stand, is a figure in a light gray pinstripe suit. Yes, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

• 21:33Greg Jackson?

  Decked out in a double-breasted pea coat and a military or police-style hat with the logo of the Brotherhood of Trinity House, Winston chews on one of his classic cigars as he walks toward the President, eager to greet his dear friend. As the PM will later recall...

• 21:48Speaker 02

  There was the President, waiting in his car. I clasped his strong hand with comfort and pleasure.

• 21:55Greg Jackson?

  Arriving at the White House around 6:50 that evening, the two leaders make their way up the walk to the portico entrance on the south side of the White House, from which we can see the South Lawn. The farther out he lives, and beyond that, the Washington Monument in the distance. As is customary, the press waits for Franklin to complete his long, pain-led, arduous walk up the path, helped today by naval aide Captain John Virral. Only then do the camera bolts go off, capturing on film the first wartime in-person meeting for these two Allied-powered leaders. Over the next few days, and years even, many more such photos were followed.

• 22:52Greg Jackson?

  You probably already know this, but it bears mentioning that another world war means home-front rationing, blackout hours, and other cuts to daily life. Now, the US isn't quite at this point yet, but Christmas of 1941 is nonetheless getting dialed back. Washington DC isn't as decked out in holiday glitz and glam as it usually is. But this isn't to say that the White House can't find a little cheer in the few days leading up to Christmas, especially with the British Bulldog Ground. As we continue to get to know Prime Minister Winston Churchill's leadership style, we'll also get to know more of his, uh, interesting idiosyncrasies.

• 23:32Greg Jackson?

  For instance, Winston is known for working odd hours, interrupted only by the oddly-timed few-hour nap. A habit he sustains by drinking heavily: sherry, scotch and soda, champagne, brandy, you name it, he'll throw it back. And being an incredibly unpredictable and sometimes volatile boss. Franklin and the White House staff do their best to accommodate their guest-of-honors' unique habits. One night, it's reported that Franklin rolls over to Winston's bedroom in the Rose Suite on the second floor of the White House, only to find the recently-bathed PM strutting around dictating messages with a towel that seems to have fallen down a while ago.

• 24:14Greg Jackson?

  Upon taking notice of Franklin's presence, the Brit quickly quips:

• 24:18Speaker 02

  The Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to conceal from the President of the United States.

• 24:25Greg Jackson?

  Huh. Well, Franklin's fifth cousin Theodore Roosevelt did skinny-dip in the Potomac as president. Here's hoping FDR is as relaxed as TR. Well, we'll just note that it's good that these two leaders are already solid friends and becoming better friends. We're going to want that as the war continues to intensify in years to come. Well, after two days of serious conflict-focused conversations with the Allied War Council, Winston and Franklin are ready to lighten up and celebrate Christmas. After all, it is Christmas Eve, and I believe there is a tree of some importance to attend to.

• 25:06Greg Jackson?

  It's 5:00 PM, December 24th, 1941. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and some other White House guests, including the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, are making their way to the southern portico of the White House for the annual Christmas tree lining. Surrounded by White House security, a few hundred spectators are gathered on the south lawn on this chilly Christmas Eve. Outside the six-foot-high fenced-in lawn, nearly 15,000 onlookers eagerly jostle with each other to catch a glimpse of the President and his British guest. Stepping out onto the curved south portico, Franklin and Winston wave to the crowd, likely

• 25:49Greg Jackson?

  delighted their presence has brought some holiday cheer to the war-reluctant nation. The United States Marine Band, the President's own, strikes up the Christmas classic, "Joy to the World," as FDR illuminates the Saint Croix native tree in a bright flood of colorful light. And now, FDR and Winston both have prepared remarks. Speaking into microphones, their combined messages will reach the thousands gathered here tonight near the White House, and millions more sitting by their home radios across the world. The President goes first. He begins:

• 26:26Speaker 03

  Fellow workers for freedom.

• 26:31Speaker 03

  There are many men and women in America, sincere and faithful men and women, who are asking themselves this Christmas, "How can we light our tree? How can we give our gifts?

• 26:51Speaker 03

  How can we meet and worship with love and with uplifted spirit and heart in a world of war, a world of fighting and suffering and death?

• 27:08Speaker 03

  How can we pause, even for a day, even for Christmas Day, in our urgent labor of arming a decent humanity against the enemies which beset it?"

• 27:27Speaker 03

  And even as we ask these questions, we know the answer. There is another preparation demanded of this nation beyond and beside the preparation of weapons and materials of war. There is demanded also of us the preparation of our hearts, the arming of our hearts. And when we make ready our hearts for the labor and the suffering and the ultimate victory which lie ahead, then we observe Christmas Day with all of its memory and all of its meaning

• 28:12Speaker 03

  as we should. The year 1941 has brought upon our nation a war of aggression by powers dominated by arrogant rulers whose selfish purpose is to destroy free institutions. They would thereby take from the freedom-loving peoples of the earth the hard-won liberties gained over many centuries.

• 28:43Speaker 03

  The New Year of nineteen forty-two calls for the courage and the resolution of old and young to help to win a world struggle in order that we may preserve all that we hold dear. We are confident in our devotion to country, in our love of freedom, in our inheritance of courage, but our strength, as the strength of all men everywhere, is our greater avail as God upholds us.

• 29:26Speaker 03

  Our strongest weapon in this war is that conviction of the dignity and brotherhood of man, which Christmas Day signifies more than any other day or any other symbol. Against enemies who preach the principles of hate and practice them, we set our faith in human love and in God's care for us and all men everywhere.

• 30:02Speaker 03

  It is in that spirit, and with particular thoughtfulness, of those, our sons and brothers, who serve in our armed forces on land and sea, near and far, those who serve for us and endure for us, that we light our Christmas candles now across the continent, from one coast to the other, on this Christmas Eve.

• 30:40Speaker 03

  We have joined with many other nations and peoples in a very great cause.

• 30:51Speaker 03

  One of their great leaders stands beside us.

• 30:58Speaker 03

  He and his people in many parts of the world are having their Christmas trees with their little children around them, just as we do here. He and his people have pointed the way in courage and in sacrifice for the sake of little children everywhere.

• 31:27Speaker 03

  And so I am asking my associate, my old and good friend, to say a word to the people of America, old and young, tonight. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.

• 31:49Greg Jackson?

  With that introduction, the Brit steps forward. Once the crowd's applause and cheers quiet down, he too shares his Christmas wishes.

• 31:58Speaker 02

  I spent this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family. Yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home. I feel a sense of unity and fraternal association which, added to the kindliness of your welcome, convinces me that I have a right to sit at your fireside and share your Christmas joys. This is a strange Christmas Eve. Almost the whole world is locked in deadly struggle. And with the most terrible weapons which science can devise, the nations advance upon each other.

• 32:36Speaker 02

  Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over the lands and seas, creeping nearer to our hearts and homes. Here, amid all the tumult, we have tonight the peace of the spirit in each cottage home and in every generous heart.

• 32:55Speaker 02

  Therefore, we may cast aside, for this night at least, the cares and dangers which beset us, and make for the children an evening of happiness in a world of storm. Here, then, for one night only, each home throughout the English-speaking world should be a brightly lighted island of happiness and peace. Let the children have their night of fun and laughter; let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play; let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us.

• 33:35Speaker 02

  Resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance, or denied their right to live in a free and decent world.

• 33:47Greg Jackson?

  With these two leaders' strong and hopeful wishes for a democratic world, despite the current war, filling the hearts of all present, the president's own strikes up again, playing the star-spangled banner. This brings the White House's National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to a close, just thirty-five minutes after it began. Christmas celebrations continue with tea in the red parlor, before Franklin begs off for a doctor's appointment. The next day, Christmas Day, December 25th, the group attends an interfaith service at Foundry Methodist Church, has a war council meeting, and enjoys a Christmas dinner, followed by movies and carols.

• 34:30Greg Jackson?

  So the Second World War hasn't halted Christmas celebrations. Not entirely. On December 26th, a bow-tie Clyde Winston Churchill gives a historic address to Congress. While thematically very similar to the Christmas Eve broadcast, Winston reasserts his hopes that Britain and America will work together to fight Nazi aggression and form a better, more democratic world in the future. He concludes:

• 34:56Speaker 02

  Still, I avow my hope and faith, sure and inviolate, that in the days to come, the British and American peoples' will, for their own safety and for the good of all, walk together in majesty, in justice, and in peace.

• 35:15Greg Jackson?

  And then, that night, he has a minor heart attack, a fact that won't be shared with the public for many years to come. Perhaps these war messages and, well, a heart attack, bring us back to a somber note, just as this episode began. But I choose not to see it that way. In my mind, today, we heard the words of three daring leaders: a rabbi, a president, and a prime minister, all of whom decided to push through their worst fears to deliver a needed message of hope to the people. And on that uplifting note, I hope you come together this winter, just as Winston Churchill desired, in majesty, in justice,

• 35:58Greg Jackson?

  and in peace. I wish you a very happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, and a joyful holiday season, and look forward to picking up our story again in 2026.

• 36:14Greg Jackson?

  History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Episode researched and written by Greg Jackson and Riley Newball. Production by Airship. Sound design by Molly Boss. Theme music composed by Greg Jackson. Arrangement and additional composition by Lindsey Graham of Airship. For bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit htdspodcast.com.

• 36:45Greg Jackson?

  HTDS is supported by fans at htdspodcast.com/membership. My gratitude to you kind souls providing funding to help us keep going. Thank you. And a special thanks to our patrons whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Adam Goran, Ahmet Chapman, Amy and Ross Hensman, Andrew Nissen, Andrew Sherwin, Anna M. Huta, Art Lang, Baby Nico, Bob Stinnett, Bonnie Brooks, Brian Gavigan, Ryan Boils, Ryan Goodson, Bruce Hibbert, Kayden Hallitz, Charles Clendenin, Charles Starkey, Charlie Majes, Christopher Merchant, Christopher Lyle, Christopher Pullman, Christopher Young, Cody Brown, Colleen Martin, Colin Ferris Pennington, Connor Hogan, Craig Burrhost. Dan G. Daniel Beecham. Daniel Lucana. Darren Chambers. Daryl the Kid Lovell. David Rifkin.

• 37:30Greg Jackson?

  Dean Heiser. Donte Spencer. Donald Moore. Eli Edwards. Elizabeth Chris-Janson. Ellen Stewart. Ernesto Franco. Ernie Lomaster. Ethan Lowery. Ethan Thompson. G2303. Jeffrey Nelson. George J. Sherwood. Gareth Griffin. Gina Johnson. Gordon Garwood. Henry Brunges. Holly Hamilton. Jake Gilbreth. James Bledsoe. James Blue. James Schlender. Jarrett Zungora. Jeffrey Moots. Jennifer Minjioni. Jennifer Ruth. Jessica Poppin. Joe Dobis. John Booby. John Frugal Dugal. John Huber. John Messmer. John Oliveros. John Radlavich. John Schaefer. Jonathan Schaff. Jordan Corbett. Joseph Curry. Joshua Steiner. Julian Wright. Justin Tolman. Karen Bartholomew. Carl Friedman. Carl Romer.

• 38:15Greg Jackson?

  Ken Culver. Kim R. Kimberly Pruitt. Kristen Kraft. Kyle Decker. L. Paul Goringer. Laura Norman. Lawrence Neubauer. Linda Cunningham. Mark D. Worrell. Mark Ellis. Marsha Smith. Mason Glenn. Matt Siegel. Michael Longus. Michael Sullivan. Nick Caprell. Nicholas Powell. Owen W. Sedlak. Paul Huguenroth. Philip May. Randy Keen. Rich Ruckel. Rick Brown. Rob Dravovic. Robert Shelton. Rock Gay. Ryan Fogelman. Sam Holtzman. Sarah Prescott. Sarah Traywood. Scott Hurst. Shane Smith. Shannon Hoagland. Sharon Feasen. Sean Baines. Sean Pollins. Stacy Ritter. Steve Williams. The Creepy Girl. Thomas Churchill. Thomas Matthew Edwards. Thomas Sabbath. Tim and Sarah Turner. Todd Curran. Tom Bestafka. Travis Cox.

• 39:00Greg Jackson?

  Walter M. Ames. Wesley McKee. William Durham. William Curry. William Thompson. And Zach Jackson. Join me in two weeks, or I'd like to tell you a story.