Forthcoming book on General Grant and the Jews. If I ever get a copy, I'll review it here.
Mar 8, 2012
Ed Koch and the Jewish military experience
This podcast has Ed Koch, former mayor of my city, telling a tale of being drafted during WWII with a cohort of other kids from NY, about a quarter who were Jewish. While the non-Jews were good at the physical stuff, the Jews were better at the more academic stuff, like map reading. One of the soldiers in his training platoon kept insulting the Jews during the training sessions. Koch, at one point threatened the guy and they fought. Koch lost the fight, but standing up to the guy put an end to the slurs.
Incidentally, the motif of the Jewish soldier not being so good at the physical stuff, but really good at the "theory" is reminiscent of Micha Joseph Berdyczewski's short story "Military Service". The story, originally in Yiddish, is over 100 years old, and took place in Czarist Russia, but still a good read. (To read that story, download Yiddish Tales from Google Books and go to page 281.)
Oh, and while experiences vary, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't much much much better at the academic theory stuff than the physical stuff.
Happy Purim everyone.
Incidentally, the motif of the Jewish soldier not being so good at the physical stuff, but really good at the "theory" is reminiscent of Micha Joseph Berdyczewski's short story "Military Service". The story, originally in Yiddish, is over 100 years old, and took place in Czarist Russia, but still a good read. (To read that story, download Yiddish Tales from Google Books and go to page 281.)
Oh, and while experiences vary, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't much much much better at the academic theory stuff than the physical stuff.
Happy Purim everyone.
Mar 2, 2012
Feb 28, 2012
Two soldiers going in different directions
Two interesting stories. While PVT Ari Mandel went from being religious to non-religious via the US Army (story here and here in Yiddish), 2LT Jake Kohlman seems to be going the other way and becoming religious via the Jewish services at Fort Benning. Fort Benning, by the way, has a rather large group of people who attend the Jewish services there (see this post).
Jan 19, 2012
Jan 11, 2012
Dec 27, 2011
Dec 21, 2011
Review of Jews who were honored for service in WWI
Apparently some may have been slighted and given lesser awards because of their religion, like other minorities. A review is now authorized. Story here.
Dec 20, 2011
Dec 14, 2011
Dec 7, 2011
Uriah P. Levy's statue
Interesting article about the US Navy's first Jewish Commodore, apparently the man who ended flogging on Navy Ships.
Dec 3, 2011
Army allows another Chaplain to wear a beard
Story here. Surprisingly the Army cited the lack of chaplains as the reason.
Dec 1, 2011
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