History That Doesn't Suck - 195: Holiday Special IX: Chanukah in Warsaw & Christmas in Washington, D.C.

Episode Date: December 22, 2025

“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 and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of Audacy media network.Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, my friends, it's Professor Greg Jackson. Now you can see the live tour by land and by sea, because we're planning a four-night VIP cruise aboard the beautiful celebrity reflection. From May 18th to the 22nd, we'll sail from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and the Bahamas. While on board, I'll not only give a special private performance of my live show, The Unlikely Union, we'll also have a night of fun history trivia, a poolside party, nightly group dining together, excursions, and the ultimate book club meeting.

Because, if you don't know, I've been working on a book for the past two years, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate its publication this spring than with my family, friends, and the best history fans. So go to htbspodcast.com and click on live shows for more information, or click the link in the show notes. Hope to see you on the road, or at sea. 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 5,702 of the Hebrew calendar. We're in Warsaw, Poland, in a neighborhood enclosed by a brick wall. The area is split along Poldna Street, with a small section to the southeast and a large, large section to the north. What used to be a bustling, popular locale has now become a dark, crant, dismal, and downright dangerous place. This is all due to the Nazi regime, forcing the city's Jews to relocate. And inside this walled-off area of the city, Rabbi Kalonimus 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 Hanukkah, 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 better acquaint ourselves with the details of the situation this well-respected man finds himself in.

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 pretty, perspective, an average of 8 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. And how do we know the details of this grim world, it's all thanks to the Oynik Shabbas archive. A Yiddish phrase,

Oynig Shabbas roughly translates to Joy of the Sabbath. And in this case, it refers to Dr. Immanuel 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, Emmanuel 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 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 candlelightings of Hanukkah in 1940 are no more. Ghetto resident Chaine Kaplan writes in his diary that, quote, this year, very few

Hanukkah candles were lit. Close quote. 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 B.C. group of Jews, known as the

Maccabees over their Seleucid oppressors. At the time, Seleucid 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 Seleucid troops from the Second Temple in Jerusalem. In the process of reconsecrate the temple, the Maccabees found that oil for a recovered golden menorah lasted eight days and knights instead of just one. It was an absolute miracle, taken as proof that God has always protected his people. The parallels between Maccabian bravery and Warsaw Jews' bravery seem all too clear to Rabbi Shapira on this Hanukkah. 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 Shapira will be buried in the Oineg Shabbas archive and that's why you and I can experience this sermon right now. So come on, let's hear the rabbi speak. We don't know where within the brick-walled ghetto Rabbi Shapira 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. Rabbi Shapira now transitions into a clear 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, You're, 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. 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. And it is written in the Hanukalism,

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. 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 Shapira's audience responded. But let's hope that the sermon brought a feeling of comfort and camaraderie, that perhaps in the short times community of sufferers still has to live. Just perhaps, there's still a flicker of joy and hope during Hanukkah of 1941. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. accent, and I'd like to tell you a story. 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. 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 guess, 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. 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. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 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 U.S. on December 11th. So, needless to say, most Americans are feeling a little less festive this holiday season, 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 a white, House Christmas spectacular, even before Pearl Harbor. Now, I trust that you recall from our last HDDS Christmas special, episode 171, that President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national Christmas tree on the White House's South Long 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. See, just a little while back, in late fall, 1941,

esteemed members of the Maine Development Commission and the town of Callis partnered with Maine's U.S. Senator Ralph Owen Brewster to write to FDR offering a Christmas tree from St. Craw Island, which sits right on the watery border of the U.S. 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 click of far northern New England men would love to see one of this island's trees grace the White House. 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 a thousand 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 Callis. By the way, the actual site of settlement of Desmond and Champlain, has never been definitely proved. I wish you would get some members of the main 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 claimed the honor. As far as I know, no one has ever dug thoroughly to discover foundations, pewterware, or other traces.

Such traces must exist. 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, callous natives scrambled to secure the tree. 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 U.S. state of Maine from 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 U.S. mainland, from Red Beach, off the coast of Calus, Maine. And this one-if-by-sea light means that someone is asking for a ferry to bring them out to the island. In no time at all, the spectacle of Elson is carrying two guests aboard his boat, businessman John Trimble and Arthur Unovsky. Arthur's involvement is really fun. 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. Constance, who is Elson's wife and the only other person living on this island,

will later remember how the group of men carefully selects a, quote, beautifully shaped tree, about 18 feet high and one of the very few left on the island. Close quote. 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 family. And so, the 18-foot tree, or possibly 12-foot tree, sources conflict, as usual, 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. a entity, making its way to the presidential mansion this Christmas. It's now mid-December, 1941. While British Prime Minister Winston Churchill isn't happy that the U.S. 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. We could review the whole war plan in light of reality and new facts, as well as the problems of production and distribution. Just a day after the Christmas tree is cut. down on St. Craw. 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 10 days. News outlets report various destinations, Washington, D.C., Moscow, the Middle East. You name it, Winston and his entourage could be there. 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 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. 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. 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. As a result, instead of sailing up the Potomac to D.C. from Hampton Roads, Virginia, the PM opts to disembark and take a quick flight to the American capital. It's 5.55 p.m. December 22nd, 9.

We're at Washington, D.C.'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, decked out in a double-breasted peat 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,

There was the president waiting in his car. I clasped his strong hand with comfort and pleasure. Arriving at the White House around 650 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 could see the south lawn, the farther out elyps, and beyond that, the Washington Monument in the distance. As is customary, the press waits for Franklin to complete his long, cane-led, arduous walk up the path, helped today by naval aid Captain John Beardle. Only then did 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 following. Hello, my friends. It's Professor Greg Jackson. Now you can see the live tour by land and by sea because we're planning a four-night VIP cruise aboard the beautiful celebrity reflection. From May 18th to the 22nd, we'll sail from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and the Bahamas. While on board, I'll not only give a special private performance of my live show, the Unlikely Union. We'll also have a night of fun history. trivia, a poolside party, nightly group dining together, excursions, and the ultimate book club meeting. Because, if you don't know, I've been working on a book for the past two years,

and I can't think of a better way to celebrate its publication this spring than with my family, friends, and the best history fans. So go to htbspodcast.com and click on live shows for more information, or click the link in the show notes. Hope to see you on the road, or at sea. 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 U.S. isn't quite at this point yet, but Christmas of 1941 is nonetheless getting dialed back. Washington, D.C. isn't as decked out in holiday glitzen. 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 interesting idiosyncrasies. 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 p.m. strutting around dictating messages with a towel that seems to have fallen down a while ago. Upon taking notice of Franklin's presence, the Brit quickly quips. The Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to conceal from the President of the United States. 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. It's 5 p.m. December 24, 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 waved to the crowd. Likely 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 St. Cray native tree in a bright flood of colorful light.

And now, FDR and Winston both have some 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. Fellow workers for freedom.

There are many men and women in America, sincere and faithful men and women were asking themselves this Christmas how can we light our tree how can we give our gifts 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. 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? 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 army of our heart 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 memories and all of its meaning

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 pre-institution. They would thereby take from the freedom-loving peoples of the earth the hard-won liberties gained over many centuries. The new year of 1942 calls for the courage and the resolution of old and young to help to win a world's 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.

Our strongest weapon in this war is that conviction of the conviction of the war. 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. 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. We have joined with many other nations and peoples in a very great cause. One

of their great leader stands beside. 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. And so I am asking my associate, my associate, my

my old and good friend, to say a word to the people of America, old and young, tonight. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, our great Britain. With that introduction, the Brit steps forward. Once the crowds applause and cheers quiet down, he too shares his Christmas wishes. I spent this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family. Yes, 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. deadly struggle, and with the most terrible weapons which science can devise, the nations advance upon each other. 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. Therefore, we may cast us,

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 fool in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us. 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. 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 35 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 in interfaith service at Foundry, Methodist Church, has a war council meeting, and enjoys a Christmas dinner, followed by movies and carols. So the Second World War hasn't halted Christmas celebrations. Not entirely. On December 26th, a bow-tie-clad 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, Still, I avow my hope and faith, sure, and inviolate, that in the days to come, the British and American people's will, for their own safety, and for the good of all, walk together in majesty, in justice, and in peace. 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 one. winter, just as Winston Churchill desired. In majesty, in justice, 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. History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Episode researched and written

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