Final answer:
After the Holocaust, Jewish survivors mainly migrated to Israel, establishing a Jewish nation, and also to the United States, which became a new center for Jewish life alongside Israel. However, international attitudes during the war often resulted in the refusal to accept Jewish refugees, exemplified by the ordeal of the MS St. Louis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jewish Migration Post-Holocaust
The extermination of millions of Jews during the Holocaust had a deep and lasting impact on the survivors, leading to significant migrations in the post-war period. The attempted elimination of the entire Jewish population in Europe catalyzed the push for a Jewish homeland, leading to the establishment of Israel in 1948. Jewish survivors of the Nazi exterminations migrated primarily to Israel and the United States, among other countries. The Holocaust proved to many the necessity of a safe haven for Jews, resulting in a significant population moving to Israel where they could establish their own nation and ensure their safety. While the United States also became a major center for Jewish life post-Holocaust, it, alongside many other countries during the war, had been reluctant to accept Jewish refugees due to prevalent anti-Semitism and restrictive immigration policies. The geopolitical effects of the Holocaust thus reshaped Jewish presence and culture, moving the center of Jewish life from Europe to Israel and the United States.
Jewish Americans faced their own challenges of discrimination both within and outside the military. In the broader global context, the Holocaust forced an examination of international policies and prejudices, leading to a reconsideration of refugee and immigration laws in many nations in the aftermath of WWII. The story of the MS St. Louis highlights the plight faced by Jewish refugees and the international community's initial reluctance to provide sanctuary for those fleeing the Nazis.