In the late 1930s, as Nazi persecution spread across Europe, one U.S. government official proposed an extraordinary idea. Jewish refugees could be resettled in Alaska.
This proposal became known as the Slattery Report. It remains one of the most intriguing “what-if” moments in Holocaust and American history. Although it was never implemented, the plan shows both creativity and political limits in U.S. refugee policy.
Who Was Harry A. Slattery?
Harry A. Slattery (1887–1949) was an American lawyer and public official. He served as Under Secretary of the Interior under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Slattery was best known for his work in conservation and federal land management. However, he also helped draft a government report that explored Alaska as a place for both economic development and refugee resettlement.
His understanding of Alaska’s unused land made him an important voice in this proposal.
Why Alaska Was Chosen
The Slattery Report was officially titled The Problem of Alaskan Development (1939). It suggested that Alaska could serve as a legal entry point for refugees.
At the time, U.S. immigration quotas severely limited Jewish refugees from Europe. Alaska was still a U.S. territory, so those quotas did not apply in the same way.
The plan identified settlement areas such as:
The Matanuska–Susitna Valley
Parts of the Alaskan Panhandle
The goal was to create agricultural and industrial communities that could support themselves.
The Growing Refugee Crisis
By 1938, Jewish life in Europe was under direct attack. The Kristallnacht pogrom destroyed synagogues and businesses across Germany and Austria. Thousands of Jews were arrested or forced into hiding.
Many tried to flee, but few countries were willing to accept them.
The Slattery Report offered a way to admit refugees while helping Alaska grow economically.
Why the Plan Was Rejected
Despite its promise, the proposal faced serious opposition.
Some Americans feared large-scale immigration would threaten jobs and culture. Many Alaskans worried about sudden population changes.
Some Jewish leaders also hesitated. They feared a separate Jewish settlement could increase antisemitism.
President Roosevelt supported refugee aid in principle, but he approved only small, limited programs. Without full backing, the Alaska plan was never launched.
Alaska’s Strategic Importance
The report also focused on Alaska’s national value. It was sparsely populated and economically underdeveloped.
At the same time, tensions were rising in the Pacific. A stronger Alaskan population would have improved U.S. security.
Slattery believed refugee settlement could strengthen the territory and save lives.
Cultural and Historical Legacy
Although the plan failed, it left a lasting mark.
The idea later inspired Michael Chabon’s novel The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. The book imagines a thriving Jewish Alaska that never existed.
The story continues to remind historians what might have been possible.
Why This Matters Today
The Slattery Report shows how a humanitarian vision can be blocked by fear and politics.
Thousands of Jewish lives might have been saved if the plan had moved forward.
For readers of the New York Jewish Travel Guide, it also links Jewish history to Alaska’s landscape in a powerful way.
Key Facts About the Slattery Report
Who: Harry A. Slattery, U.S. Under Secretary of the Interior
What: A plan to resettle Jewish refugees in Alaska
Where: Alaska Territory, including the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Why: To save refugees and develop Alaska
Outcome: Never implemented
Timeline: Alaska as a Refuge
1938 – Kristallnacht erupts across Germany and Austria
1938–1939 – Interior Secretary Harold Ickes commissions the Slattery Report
1939 – Alaska was proposed as a refugee settlement area
1939–1940 – Political opposition grows
1940 – The plan is shelved
Quick Facts
Alaska was not a U.S. state in 1939
Immigration limits did not apply in the same way
Thousands of Jewish refugees could have been admitted
Written by the New York Jewish Travel Guide Editorial Staff
