GI Jews: How World War II Changed a Generation

My husband handed me this book during our browsing expedition at Half-Price Books.  I thought he handed it to me as a suggestion for me to purchase.  Turns out, he was buying it for himself!

In any case, it was an interesting read about the experiences of American Jews in the Armed Forces during World War II.  The author had interviewed about a dozen men, mostly from New York.  She asked about their reasons for enlisting, their experiences during basic training and then there war time service.  I was surprised about the antisemitism the men encountered.  I guess it is naive of me to think that American soldiers would be exempt from that treatment in the United States, considering there were still Jim Crow laws in effect in the south during this time. 

It was interesting to hear how the Armed Forces handled the diversity of religious beliefs.  The military created a blend of the three major religions:  Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism.  Although this blend often created discontent.  One example that stood out to me was the fact Orthodox Jews were often upset at the modification of the length of their holy days.  And, many of the more secular men expressed a renewed sense of spirituality and interest in their Judaism as the war progressed.

While the Armed Forces made sure that the spiritual needs of the men were met, there was no modification to the men's dietary requirements.  The descriptions of the men suffering through ham and eggs or pork chops laden with butter were distressing.  Men, who had kept kosher for their entire lives, found it difficult to choke down the forbidden foods.

This book provided insight in the minds and hearts of the men who fought for the freedoms we have in the United States.  They recognized had they not been born on American soil or immigrated from Europe when they had, they may have fallen victim to the Nazi's atrocious crimes.