In the book, the Bellarosa Connection signifies Billy Rose's Madison Square Garden benefit for the Jews of Europe on the most immediate level, but, more deeply, becomes a point of departure for Bellow to consider the American Jewish response to European Jews' experience during World War II. As Bellow's protagonist comes to grips with the past, his experience distances American Jewry's position from that of its European counterparts.
In the book, the Bellarosa Connection signifies Billy Rose's charity gala for European Jewish refugees on a basic level, but, more fundamentally, functions as a springboard for Bellow to examine the divergent attitudes of American Jews toward those of European origin during World War II. As his protagonist comes to terms with history, his experience underscores the differences between American and European Jewish stances.