As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable." -Albert Einstein
Throughout history, a common anti-Semitic method of provocation has been to accuse Jews of being unpatriotic. This was often expressed in the accusation that Jews were unwilling to join their country's military. Yet it was in 1654 when one of the original twenty-three Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam, Asher Levy, demanded and secured for himself and fellow Jews the right to stand guard at the stockade. From Colonial time to the present, Jews have played an important role in the defense of the United States of America. On July 31, 1776, Frances Salvador, a plantation owner from South Carolina, was the first Jew killed in the Revolutionary War.
Throughout history, a common anti-Semitic method of provocation has been to accuse Jews of being unpatriotic. This was often expressed in the accusation that Jews were unwilling to join their country's military. Yet it was in 1654 when one of the original twenty-three Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam, Asher Levy, demanded and secured for himself and fellow Jews the right to stand guard at the stockade. From Colonial time to the present, Jews have played an important role in the defense of the United States of America. On July 31, 1776, Frances Salvador, a plantation owner from South Carolina, was the first Jew killed in the Revolutionary War.
What concerned Jewish veterans then, and throughout America's history, concerns
Jewish veterans today. Jews must still defend themselves against those who
continue to declare that Jews have not served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Thousands of Jews have died in combat for our country and thousands more have
been wounded. Jews have been awarded combat medals for performing their duty in
time of war, and a study of Jewish participation in the military during World
War II clearly indicates Jews served in the Armed Forces beyond their numerical
proportion to the general population, receiving more than 52,000 awards, including
the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor. Jews participated in the Korean War,
Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War, and continue to serve in today's
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Any way you look at it, thousands of Jewish men and women have unselfishly and valiantly given of themselves in fighting for and defending our country. And so we, as Jews, can stand tall and proud of our accomplishments as veterans of past service and as current participants in our country's Armed Forces, participating fully in this weekend's activities which honor ALL of those who have paid the greatest price in defending our liberties.
Any way you look at it, thousands of Jewish men and women have unselfishly and valiantly given of themselves in fighting for and defending our country. And so we, as Jews, can stand tall and proud of our accomplishments as veterans of past service and as current participants in our country's Armed Forces, participating fully in this weekend's activities which honor ALL of those who have paid the greatest price in defending our liberties.
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