In the early 1930s, anti-Semitism in Switzerland began to take increasingly threatening forms. Swiss Jews were reminded of their special status, not least due to Switzerland's anti-Semitic refugee policy during the Nazi era. Forces had to be consolidated, and ranks had to be closed. At the same time, Zionism gained stronger support. The establishment of a Jewish state seemed inevitable in light of the hostile conditions. After Hitler came to power in 1933, thousands of German Jews fled to Basel. Among the first emigrants were many students. The wave of refugees in 1938 necessitated a complete reorganization and expansion of the local refugee aid organization of the Jewish Community of Basel. When the extent of the Holocaust became known after 1945 and the common threat disappeared, there was a risk that...