The Mask falls Word of the Week German antisemitic poster alleging Roosevelt's Brain Trust is comprised of Jews

German propaganda poster issued during the week of September 30 to October 6, 1942, from the Parole der Woche (Word of the Week) series. The poster claims that United States President Franklin Roosevelt set up a committee of advisors dubbed “the Brain Trust,” comprised of Jews and Jewish sympathizers. The poster then shows photos of Roosevelt’s supposed advisory committee: Bernard M. Baruch, Henry Morgenthau, Felix Frankfurt, Sol Bloom, Fiorello La Guardia, Cordell Hull, and claims that they are the real rulers in the U.S. In reality, Roosevelt’s “Brain Trust” was established in 1932, during his presidential campaign. The group’s key members were Raymond Moley, Rexford Tugwell, and Adolph Berle. Other advisors worked with the group as needed. The men on the poster were all high-ranking state or federal officials, but were not necessarily a part of the “Brain Trust,” and had varying degrees of influence over U.S. policy. Their presence on this poster is a reflection of their ties to Judaism being misused to fit the Nazi narrative of the “Jewish Enemy.” The Nazis used propaganda to buttress public support for the war effort, shape public opinion, and reinforce antisemitic ideas. As part of their propaganda campaign, the Nazis created the Word of the Week Series of posters (also referred to as Wandzeitung, or wall newspapers), which began distribution on March 16, 1936. Each week, new posters were placed in public places and businesses to be viewed by as many people as possible. Posters were the primary medium for the series, but smaller pamphlets were also produced, which could be plastered on the back of correspondences. The posters targeted the Nazis’ early political adversaries, Jews, Communists, and Germany’s enemies during the war. The series was discontinued in 1943.