Number 3, Season: Fall

Now that you are home, will you receive the benefi ts you deserve?

June 2008 • Volume 61 • Number 3

The JewishThe Jewish

VeteranVeteran

Cover photo and photo at right show twenty-two members of the Dr. Harvey J. Bloom Dallas Post 256 and Auxiliary meeting and greeting 150 returning troops from Iraq, coming home for rest and recuperation. Some of the re-turning troops were met by family members, but most were making connect-ing fl ights to their fi nal destination. Post 256 makes it a point to “meet and greet” our returning heroes once each month.

Photos by Jerry Kasten

Teleconference Schedule • 2008Your voice matters -your ideas and input are important!

All individual JWV Post Members are an important part of the Jewish War Veterans. As a JWV member, you can attend a National Committee Meeting by dialing toll-free into any Teleconference listed below:

Teleconference Schedule • All calls start at 8:00PM EDT or EST

2008

July 15 Tues. United Nations What’s it all about.

August 14 Thurs. At the Convention Information Technology Committee Meeting Viet Nam Veterans Committee

August 15 Fri. At the Convention GWOT/Homeland Security

August 28 Thurs. Housing and Homeless

September 10 Wed. The Jewish Veteran What about it?

September 23 Tues. Action Working together to fi ght anti-Semitism and protect the Veteran

October 2 Thurs. Hospitals and VAVS

October 23 Thurs. Women in the Military

November 18 Tues. GWOT/Homeland Security

December 4 Thurs. Leadership at all levels Meeting your Past National Commanders

December 17 Wed. Veterans’ Legislation What’s pending?

PLEASE JOIN WITH US! To participate in the Teleconference call:

Dial 1-866-266-3378 and then enter the JWV Code Number 202 265 6280#(Enter the full number, including the # sign)

The Information Technology, Vietnam Veterans, Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), and Homeland Security Committees will all have teleconferences at the convention. • All calls will take place on August 14 and 15. Specifi c times for those

teleconferences will be announced soon.

Cover photo and photo atJ. Bloom Dallas Post 256 a

and Home• All calls

telecon

www.jwv.org June 2008 3

Contents

Organized 1896Offi cial Publication of the

Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America

The Jewish Veteran is a member of The American Jewish Press Association.

Lawrence SchulmanNational Commander

Paul Bernstein, PNCNational Editor

Herb RosenbleethNational Executive Director

Cheryl WaldmanManaging Editor

Christy TurnerGraphics / Production Editor

Robert M. Zweiman, PNCEditorial Fellow

Features

Departments

EDITORIAL OFFICES, 1811 R Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20009, Telephone: (202) 265-6280 x504, Fax: (202) 234-5662, Home Page: http://www.jwv.org, e-mail: [email protected]. Advertising information and rates available from the Editorial Offi ce. The opinions expressed in signed articles and letters in this magazine are not necessarily those of JWV. The Jewish Veteran is published 5 times a year: Winter (Jan-Feb), Spring (Mar.-Apr.-May), Summer (June-July-Aug), Post-Convention (Sept.-Oct.) and Autumn (Nov.-Dec.) by the

Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America at 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC, and at additional mailing offi ces. Subscription price in the United States is $5.00 per year, included in membership. Nonmember subscriptions: $7.50. Single copies: $2.50. Photos and articles submitted to the Jewish War Veterans of the USA shall be used at the discretion of the organization. JWV assumes no responsibility for products and services advertised in this publication. Postmaster: Send ad-dress changes or undelivered copies to The Jewish Veteran, 1811 R Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20009. © 2006 by the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. ISSN 0047-2018

2008 Jewish War Veteran Publishing ScheduleFebruary, 2008 copy, photo and ad deadline-Jan. 22; in mail Feb. 20April, 2008 copy, photo and ad deadline-March 14; in mail April 17June, 2008 copy, photo and ad deadline-May 23; in mail June 23Convention issue copy, photo and ad deadline-Sept. 1; in mail Sept. 26November, 2008 copy, photo and ad deadline-Oct. 19; in mail Nov. 14

4 Commander’s Corner5 News from Capitol Hill 6 Letters to the Editor7 Editor’s Corner12 Commentary 16 JWV in Action 22 People and Places23 New Members24 Reunions/In Search Of26 Museum News30 Taps

8 Passover in the Desert 9 Memories of a Handshake 10 VA Health Center Named for Sgt John Levitow 11 “Take It Like A Soldier: A Memoir”

The Offi cial Publication of theJewish War Veterans of the United States of America

VeteranThe Jewish

Passover in the DesertPage 8

VA Health Center named for Sgt John Levitow

Page 10

The Jewish Veteran www.nmajmh.org4

Commander’s CornerA message from National Commander Lawrence Schulman

It is hard to believe that my time as your National Commander is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday that we were in Charleston, South Carolina, and I was elected by you, the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, to serve as your National Commander. I hope that I served with dignity and have lived up to your expectations.

This year has been a valuable experience for me and my staff. I truly believe that we have moved the veterans’ organizations forward. I have had the oppor-tunity to meet with numerous members of Congress as well as state leaders who can and will bring your concerns to our elected administration and to the pub-lic. These men and women have promised to do what they can to advance the rights of veterans throughout our country.

My travels to London, England, for Remembrance Day, to Brussels, Belgium, to be briefed by military dignitaries from NATO and SHAPE and to Israel to experience Middle-East politics have brought the Jewish veterans throughout these countries and the United States closer together in ties of brotherhood. We have served in many wars, and now we must work together to secure the rights of veterans throughout the world.

I have traveled throughout the United States talk-ing to veterans’ administrators and visiting many of the veterans’ hospitals, nursing homes and retirement homes that help support our veterans. I am extremely pleased with the progress that each of the individual posts is making. The Jewish War Veterans continues to be a vibrant organization. All of the posts that I had the opportunity to visit are actively supporting their members as well as the hospitals and homes they are involved with. I am proud to say that, unlike many organizations that are having diffi culty, we continue to work together to support our members throughout the country. In many cases, I was extremely pleased with what I saw and heard. However, in some instances, I can sense that there is a need for improvement.

I had the opportunity to share my observa-tions in my Testimony with our elected offi cials in Washington, DC, who are in a position to make the changes needed to improve the conditions of these hospitals and homes. I can only hope that they heard what I said and will take the necessary action to im-prove conditions in these places. Together as veterans

we must fi ght for mandatory funding.

We must look forward to what will happen within the next year or two. We are acutely aware of the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. They will need our support. This new generation of veter-ans will need the physical and mental health facilities to bring them back to being productive members of society, and it is our obligation to be there for them. We have fought for others; now we must fi ght for the rights of our new brothers and sisters in arms.

It has been my honor to have served you as your National Commander. I am looking forward to sup-porting whomever is honored by you to serve as your next National Commander.

See you in Pittsburgh!

National Commander Larry Schulman laid a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on Memorial Day


THE HILL CAME TO JWV!On Tuesday evening, May 13th, six exceptionally infl uential members of Congress visited JWV National Headquarters and toured our wonderful museum! Following inspiring welcoming remarks by Museum President Bob Zweiman, the several members from Capitol Hill viewed each exhibit.

It was most meaningful to me to sense their genuine interest in our exhibits. These diligent members of Congress, who came to us following a demanding day including three earlier evening votes, still became sincerely and emotionally involved in our exhibits. From the Displaced Persons Camps exhibit, to special items from our collections, to the Julius Klein exhibit, to the Goldberg Memorial Chapel, everything hit home! They were truly interested, amazed, and inspired by what they saw.

My appreciation to each of these members of Congress for visiting with us. My appreciation to each of you who have made our fantastic museum possible!

News From Capitol Hill

By Col Herb Rosenbleeth U.S. Army(Ret) Nat’l Executive Director

Left to Right, Herb Rosenbleeth, Congress members Gary Ackerman (NY), Susan Davis (CA), Allyson Schwartz (PA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL), and Museum Vice President Norman Rosenshein view and discuss our Women in the Military exhibit. This exhibit shows the outstanding contributions of women in the defense of our country.

With Congressman Tim Walz (MN) in the Hall of Heroes exhibit. Congressman Walz is a retired Command Sergeant Major from the Army National Guard. We are thankful to have CSM Walz on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs where he is a strong, knowledgeable, effective advocate for all veterans!

With Congressman Albio Sires (NJ), following our walk through of the exhibit entitled A Mother’s Grief, the tragic story of a young soldier from New Jersey killed in WWII.


Letters to the EditorCommemoration of the 75th Anniversary of March Against Nazism

Dear Editor:

I’m writing to thank you and the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America for including Gold Star Wives, me and my guest Sally Sherman, to the great reception and wonderful dinner on Saturday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. It was really something special to learn of the 75th Anniversary of the Protest March against Nazi Germany. Hooray for the JWV. The JWV members and ladies at the dinner were espe-cially friendly. We had a wonderful time.

Thanks again,

Rose LeeChair, Government Relations CommitteeGold Star Wives of America

Comments on a Poem

Dear Editor:

Please refer to the April 2008 [edition]—p. 17 of the Veteran.

I am disappointed that you devoted a full page to this poem(?).

Our Freedoms were given to us by the Founding Fathers who wrote the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It was Jefferson-Washington-Madison-Adams-Franklin-Hamilton, a total of 55 men who were responsible for this great document.

Note that only the word “soldier” is used. What about the:Nazi SoldierThe Fascist SoldierThe Red Army SoldierThe Chinese Red Army soldier

And countless others that call themselves “soldiers” but just murder, pillage, rape and destroy.

I may be getting old (86) and crotchety, but that is the way this so-called “poem” hit me.

Sincerely,

Maurice Sands, Post 25

A Poem for Memorial Day

Dear Editor:

I am enclosing a poem, as suggested, which may be appropriate for inclusion in the Veterans Magazine in light of world conditions and the current Memorial Day atmosphere, for our boys overseas.

A Soldier’s Prayer

DEAR GOD I must take this opportunity to speak to youI need your wisdom and guidance to help me get throughI need you by my side with the early ordealI would feel more comfortable, with you at my side, how would you feel

Your presence would relieve my anxiety before enter-ing battleAnd I would march with a fi rm step knowing you were in the saddleYour nearness would reduce the shock of artillery fi reOn or below the sea, in the air, or marching on the ground, would inspire

To we, or I, whatever happens, please see that our families are OKI leave this to you, in your inimitable wayAs our will is strong, when our cause is justAnd we march to glory, in your Name, as we must.

PNC Jack Litz

Homeland Security

Dear Editor:

Your article in the April 2008 issue of THE JEWISH VETERAN resonated with me.

Enclosed is an observation in which various telephone companies, et. al., furnish envelopes to their customers which have NO GLASSINE PROTECTION. Just as containers in transit could be compromised, so could these envelopes.

As a matter of fact, approximately fi ve years ago


Some time ago, February 2008 to be exact, I reported to the Senate Committee on Terrorism that there was a big hole in the security at Newark Airport. I reported that many airport personnel were not being screened and nei-ther were their bags.

Well, lo and behold, a reporter from the Star Ledger (a New Jersey paper) went to Newark Airport and found the same conditions and reported on them in the newspaper. He said that there was no inspection of airport employees entering the air side area or entering the cargo area. The headline read, “A Hole in the Security at the Airport.” The story had a familiar ring, very coincidental. Let me assure you, that I had nothing to do with sending a re-porter to Newark Airport; maybe the folks in Washington sent a little bird over there. Anyway the problems at the airport are out in the open, and TSA has closed the hole-better late then never.

Let me tell you a little story—a little fi ction story that I conceived.

Let me set the scene. Major characters: the Terrorists. Character descrip-

tion: men with box cutters. Ambitions: to kill everyone in the US--but how? It is no secret that these Terrorists want to enter this Country to repeat 9-11. It is getting harder and harder to get in since 9-11. We now know that some of the 9-11 hijackers entered this Country legally as stu-dents to learn to fl y airplanes; some came across through our open borders. We since have closed the holes, or so

we are told by Washington. But the ability to kill and do harm is still their religion.

Secondary characters: Street Gangs. Character de-scription: boys with guns. Here’s the plot--the terrorists connect with the gangs. We all know that there are many street gangs in this country; some are very well armed but lack capital to pull off terror on a mass scale. Now the two come together in an unholy alliance. The terrorists supply the gangs with capital and arms to do their bidding.

Here is where the story gets interesting--the gangs do the things that the terrorists can’t, because they have the freedom to roam the streets and subways. Think about it--the gangs are already here and well placed in the com-munity and can achieve success since they know the lay of the land better than any newcomer. Now the Terrorists have a ready-made army planted in America, and now the gangs have the capital they need.

As the story unfolds, we have more “Fort Dix” or “JFK” plots in the future. These home-grown terrorists can be more dangerous, for they have the advantage of knowing the terrain and “fi t” better into the community.

I don’t want to be an alarmist, but forewarned is fore-armed--but then again it is only a story.

I wrote letters on this topic not only to the telephone company but to my senators and representative, not to mention the FBI, the CIA, and Homeland Security. Every written address had glossover and defi cit interest on this issue.

Please review this matter for publication or bend the ears of our bureaucrats and politicians.

Sincerely,

Martin T. Lyon, Post 152

GLASSINE-SECURED WINDOW ENVELOPES

Local and long-distance telephone companies, cable ser-vice and other utility companies, to date, have not con-

sidered protecting their customers’ personal information, and, for that matter, company information in the case of non-glassine covered window payment return enve-lopes in which customers submit coupon and payment check/money orders. Letters advising the companies of this situation have been sent. Unprotected window en-velopes can be damaged in various ways while in transit from the sender/customer to the addressee/company. In Mail receptacles and pouches the corner of another mail article can penetrate the window of the non-glassine en-velope. In the event of an unauthorized person obtaining the envelope such a person can surreptitiously open this envelope and abscond with the contents, or someone in possession of harmful/deadly substances, e.g., Anthrax, Ricin, Strychnine, or Marijuana, can sprinkle them into

Continued on page 13

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s CornerBy PNC Paul Bernstein, National Editor


By CDR (Chaplain) Jon E. Cutler

Seventeen years ago one of the most meaningful Passover sederim I ever conducted was outside of Kuwait City right after Desert Storm. There I was with 26 Marines and we put together planks of wood on sandbags. We sat on sandbags with cammie [camoufl age] netting over this whole area.

At that time, we actually had the oil fi res because Saddam Hussein had blown up the oil wells. The air was just saturated with oil. And that’s the stuff that you would breathe in, live in. It was horrifi c. You just breathe it in and you cough it out. It depended on which way the winds blew. It was a really nice day and then all of a sudden the oil clouds started moving in, then the fl ies started to come because the heat was bad, then it started raining oil and there were droplets of oil in the Kiddush cup. So it felt like one of the original [10] plagues.

But it’s tremendous camaraderie in the sense of ex-periencing this and going through it together. This is the closest we came to the original Passover experience—Jews eating matzah in the desert living through the plagues. Even though the deserts of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were a bit far from the original place, Sinai wil-derness, the atmosphere was very similar.

In addition to the Passover seder I conducted out-side Kuwait City, I also conducted 4 sederim in Saudi Arabia. I wondered when was the last time a Passover seder was conducted in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait if ever. I actually went out into the local market of Al Jubal

Saudi Arabia to buy horseradish root, parsley and other items. I went out into the market without the Jewish collar device, and here was the other irony--a rabbi buy-

ing items for a Passover seder from an Arab market.Here I am once again ready to conduct Passover

sederim in the desert. This time around I am much old-er, and we will not be having the sederim outside so we won’t be hit by the plagues. The closest to the original experience is eating matzah once again in the desert,

however, quite a distance from the original event. But the lesson has not changed from seventeen years ago.

During Desert Storm, when I served with Marines as the only Jewish chaplain, just as today, the Passover seder was profound that year because America, spe-cifi cally the Marines, liberated Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. We are celebrating not only a Passover seder from a Jewish perspective; we were celebrating the uni-versal ideal of freedom for all humankind. Here we are celebrating the universal ideal of freedom once again because this time around Saddam Hussein is gone, and the Iraqis have been liberated. Just as the Kuwaitis were liberated from the evil grip of Hussein, the Iraqis have been liberated from the bondage of Hussein.

Being here should really hit home for us that free-dom is not just a Jewish experience, but it is a universal experience. What the Passover seder really does speak to is that universal ideal of freedom. It transcends any par-ticular religious, cultural or nationalistic limits. When we celebrate Passover with our family and friends back in the United States it is easy to take freedom and our way of life for granted. It is easy to focus on the meal being with family and friends more than what Passover truly means.

Celebrating in Iraq it is about the values of free-

Passover in the DesertPassover in the Desert



Memories of a Handshake across the Elbe River Remain 63 Years Later

By Jeffrey Thau

Sixty-three years ago the fi elded forces of World War II in Europe met as a coalition force for the fi rst time near Torgau, Germany. In the famous picture that fl ashed across the AP at the time, soldiers from the 69th Infantry Division were shown meeting the Russian Army, 58th Guards Division, on the destroyed bridge over the Elbe River in Germany. One of the Russian soldiers in the photo, Charles Thau, a Jew from Poland, (center, fac-ing camera) immigrated to the U.S. and raised a fam-ily, including a son, Jeff, who now resides in Dayton Ohio (and is the vice commander of Dayton JWV Post 587). Since his father passed away, the City of Torgau, Germany, in honor of his father’s contribution in helping to liberate Germany from the Nazi regime, invited Jeff to Torgau and sponsored his attendance at ceremonies celebrating the 63rd anniversary of “East Meets West.” This story is a legacy of survival, unknown heroes, a journey down life’s path in what is a small world, and heartfelt gratitude that stretches across countries, de-cades and generations today.

Charles Thau’s epic survival story originated in an area today known as Ukraine-Polish Region as defi ned by the 1941 Hitler-Stalin pact. As the Nazi war ma-chine came through the region and murdered an untold number of Jews, including Charles Thau’s immediate family in the village of Zaplotov, the teenage Thau

managed to escape by living in the wooded region near the Carpathian Mountains. Conducting underground sabotage and survival actions against the Nazis and their collaborators, Thau was eventually detained by the Russian Army, 58th Guards Division, and con-scripted into their ranks, given his ability to speak multiple languages, including Russian, Polish, and German. This allowed him to assist as a translator for the advanced leading Russian forces as they made their way into Germany.

On April 25, 1945, as they approached Torgau, resistance was encountered from the retreating German Army (Wehrmacht) just east of the Elbe River. From the West the American 69th Infantry Division also ap-proached Torgau. The situation culminated in the two fi elded forces coming face-to-face in an atmosphere that, albeit initially uncertain, became celebratory once they recognized each other as friendly forces. The Americans and Russians exchanged vodka and chocolate, danced, and shook hands in a reenacted photo (above) by Allan Jackson which recorded the historic encounter the following day, and the re-enactment was recog-nized as an award win-ning photograph from the Second World War.

Over time names of the photographed indi-viduals emerged as the City of Torgau and the commemorative military organizations (be they Russian or American) would annually celebrate this event on site. On the left are Americans Pfc Metzger and Philpott and Pvt Summers who later participated in annual celebrations at the Elbe River. At the time, the Russians could not be identifi ed despite attempts by central Russian newspapers for a call for them to come forward. At the 10-year anniver-


American and Russian troops meet at the Elbe in 1945. Allan Jackson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Jeff Thau, son of one of the participants in the 1945 photo, returns to Torgau, Germany, to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Handshake.


Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell named the state’s new $33.8 million veterans health care center in Rocky Hill for a Connecticut native son and one of only two Air Force enlisted men ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor – Sgt. John Lee Levitow, a member of Hartford-Laurel Post 45.

Levitow was cited for conspicuous gallantry in ac-tion in 1969 for saving the lives of his eight crew mem-bers after being critically injured as a loadmaster on a mortar-attacked, AC-47 gunship while fl ying a night combat mission over South Vietnam.

A lifelong resident of Glastonbury and Rocky Hill, Levitow worked on veterans issues for over 22 years with both the U.S and Connecticut Departments of Veterans’ Affairs, including years of service as assis-tant to Connecticut’s commissioner of veterans’ affairs. He died on the grounds of the State Veterans Home in November 2000 after a long battle with cancer.

“John Levitow is a true Connecticut hero and treasure,” said Governor Rell. “It is the totality of his life – most especially his loyal and tireless service to Connecticut veterans after he left the military – that make this tribute so fi tting. Despite his enormous cour-age, he was a very unassuming, humble public servant who always put others fi rst. I think he would be very proud of this beautiful facility that will forever bear his name on a campus that he loved so very much.”

Governor Rell, joined by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Gordon H. Mansfi eld, dedicated the new Sgt. John L. Levitow Veterans Health Center on May 22nd. Levitow is one of only 17 men to have received the Medal of Honor since the Air Force’s inception in 1947 and for many years had the honor of being the lowest ranking airman to ever receive the nation’s highest military honor. President Richard M. Nixon presented the then 24-year-old Levitow with the Medal of Honor in a special Armed Forces Day ceremo-ny at the White House on May 14, 1970.

“This quiet, generous hero contributed much to the lives of veterans in our state and nation,” said Dr. Linda S. Schwartz, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “He served for years as a model and mentor to thousands in the enlisted ranks of the United States Air Force. His deeds and actions on that night long ago continue to inspire and enrich our nation.”

Levi tow was born in Hartford and a t t e n d e d Glastonbury High School, o r i g i n a l l y p l a n n i n g to join the United States Navy. He changed his mind and joined the Air Force in 1966 – and would become one of the most respected and famous airman in U.S. history.

After fl ying on C-130s out of McGuire, Levitow de-ployed to Vietnam as part of the Air Force’s 3rd Special Operations Squadron. On February 24, 1969, he was asked to fi ll in for the regular loadmaster on an armed AC-47, codenamed “Spooky 71,” on a night combat support mission over Long Binh, Vietnam. The crew was deploying magnesium fl ares that burn upon igni-tion to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit to provide illumination for ground troops when the aircraft was hit by a mortar round from the North Vietnamese, sending thousands of pieces of shrapnel through the aircraft fuselage.

The entire cabin crew was hit with shrapnel, includ-ing Levitow who suffered 40 wounds in his legs, side and back. Despite his extensive injuries and severe loss of blood, he rescued a fellow crew member from near the open cargo door and then noticed a loose, ignited fl are that was rolling around on the cargo fl oor amid ammunition cans that contained over 19,000 rounds of live ammunition. Levitow threw himself upon the burning fl are and hugging it tight to his body, dragged himself to the back of the aircraft where he was able to hurl it through the open door – saving the aircraft and its crew from certain destruction. Levitow spent two-and-a-half months in a hospital recovering from his wounds before returning to Vietnam for a second tour

New Veterans Health Center Named for Medal of Honor Recipient SGT John Lee Levitow

Continued on next page

SGT John Lee Levitow


This is addressed to all members of the Jewish War Veterans on my list.

I know that the various Posts have pet projects such as Boy Scouts, the Homeless thru CBOC, and many others.

What we are not doing to any extent is a contribu-tion to our National Museum. I know that most of you have not seen the Museum, but it does contain many items that show what the JWV is all about. Hopefully it will be in existence for many years. It is our legacy to be left behind when we are gone so that our chil-dren and grandchildren will see what we did for our Country.

We are lax in sending annual contributions (or more often) to perpetuate the Museum. We raise money in the name of the Jewish War Veterans, but we do not give to the Jewish War Veterans. I am not saying to give to the general operating fund. You may have a beef with National, but you do not have a beef with the Museum.

We keep bringing up Matching Funds. Absolutely. We raise the money by using the name JWV so we should give something back. In my opinion, and this is my opinion only, the Posts have an obligation to support our organization. In other veterans’ organizations the various Chapters or Posts must give 10% of their fund raising monies to their Department. I maintain that we must not only support our Department with a few dollars, but we must set aside funds to go to National whether it be for the Tree of Life, Museum, or any other project. Look in the JWV magazine and see what some of the other Posts are doing.

Why am I sending this to others who are not of-fi cers? Some of you may go to meetings and object to giving to National projects and [want] to only support your pet projects. You will take the opportunity to vote NO when the question of giving to National is brought up.

For a personal donation why not give to the Yahrzeit program or the Tree of Honor.

So I am asking you to think about the various National projects as we are now making plans for the Memorial Day poppy drives using the name Jewish War Veterans.

In comradeship, Irving Finver, PDC

An Open LetterThis fascinating book recently published by Mr. Victor Geller, a JWV member in Israel, tells the story of his childhood as the son of poor Hungarian immigrants and his service in WWII. He has the true storyteller’s knack for detail and takes the reader along with him on his journey from the New York of his child-hood through the Battle of the Bulge, the horrors of Buchenwald, and liberated Paris in 1945. Along the way, he meets a huge cast of complex and interesting characters.

He was a Yeshiva student at the start of the War who waived his theological deferment and volunteered to serve. He was in a battalion intelligence section in the 346th Infantry Regiment, 87th Division, in the ETO. His division, which lacked the required minimum 1,000 Jewish men, had no Jewish chaplain, and he also served as the acting Jewish chaplain for the 212 of-fi cers and men in his regiment.

Mr. Geller, who is retired from a career as Dean of Communal Service at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, has written a memoir that should be a “must read” for anyone with an interest in WWII. Copies are avail-able for $24+$4 for shipping from Stuart Verstandig, The Jewish Quarter, 917-670-2564, 718-544-4047, or [email protected].

of duty and another 20 combat missions. He left the Air Force as a sergeant in 1974 before beginning his long career as a veterans advocate. For the Federal Veterans Administration (VA) in Connecticut he served as a con-gressional liaison and chief of medical administration for the Newington VA Medical Center. In 1991, he joined the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs as director of planning before advancing to become the senior assistant to the commissioner.

Sgt. Levitow’s gallantry and profound concern for his crew are legendary within the U.S Air Force and continue to set the example for today’s airmen and non-commissioned offi cers. The “John L. Levitow Award” is the highest award presented to the top graduate of every Air Force professional military education course.

SGT John Lee Levitow

“Take It Like a Soldier: A Memoir”By Victor B. Geller

Continued from previous page


Commentary

NAFTA was created to benefi t three nations [Mexico, Canada, and ostensibly the United States] jointly acting together to realize the potential of joint economic coordination.

So when we request that they double their oil produc-tion to help us reduce the price of gasoline and oil usage—the answer is their immediate NO since they proclaim we do have and control oil in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, which we should fi rst develop in the next decade. As part-ners with us in NAFTA, it would show our loyalty [read stupidity] as we wouldn’t want them to lose out on income from non-NAFTA customers. The bottom line appears to be that we have surrendered our sovereignty or given it up while they have retained and enhanced theirs.

We should immediately demand the increase in produc-tion, impose safety regulations on Mexican and Canadian vehicles, reinstitute tariffs on competing products to be no less than they charge on similar products and reevaluate the benefi ts from NAFTA and eliminate any disadvantages to the U.S. or possibly just seek its repeal.

So as not to be unfair to our “friends” in my Commentary, I, for one, recognize that Mexico has, in fact, increased the production and distribution to the United States of one of its major energy sources—cocaine.

And, as I have indicated in the past, this includes our moderate friends in OPEC as well, since most of them are selling crude oil in today’s market transactions at less than $100.00 while at the same time today selling crude oil fu-tures on the open commodities markets at $130.00, more or less, which is quoted every day in our newspapers. The only thing that that is crude is their reaction to any request from the U.S.—they have learned to take for so long that they are totally unaware of giving—at least in response to the U.S. A rational energy approach is beyond their ken.

Probably what should concern us, in addition to the price of gasoline, fi nding alternate sources of energy, or sell-ing America at bargain prices, is that those bargain sales can come back to kick us in the face if Saudi reserves are actu-ally, as some have reported, far less than they have claimed [you remember Ponzi from a prior column] or that bin Laden or some other terrorist may have taken Saudi Arabia—his country—back from the royal usurpers who still may own substantial interest in American businesses and fi nancial entities.

They have been dealt a royal fl ush allowing them to call upon the U.S. to protect those interests and/or will they be

able to force a commitment of American forces into Saudi Arabia or whatever other friend who had been buying us on the cheap?

The dangers are legend based on the creation of a dysfunctional infrastructure called America. Probably, this is best exemplifi ed by the transi-tory information when one matter gets too close to public concern and desire for action—just then the new issue is presented.

One prime example is the increase in the unemployment rate which merely means an increase in those seeking un-employment benefi ts. It doesn’t include those who already have completed receiving benefi ts and are seeking jobs or the millions of others unable to fi nd work in a depressed economy.

So, if you take that into account, and you count on the upcoming announced dismissals and layoffs, you are now ready to be convinced that they are attacking the increase in the cost of gasoline by eliminating the unemployed from traveling on our highways or wasting home fuel on their foreclosed homes. That is no less convoluted that our present approach to the problem of oil prices which has decreased airline travel, automobile production, etc.

Oh, by the way, we still have not received the benefi t from Iraqi oil which we were told would cover all of the war and reconstruction costs. The only thing we are told is that 500,000 gallons of oil are being diverted daily to the black market.

What about releasing some of our National oil reserves? Even our own government says NO since we may need it in the future—they haven’t told us whose future. Actually, they may mean sustaining commodity futures.

Other than self-fl agellation, reducing the gas tax [which the oil people will fi gure out how to take to their own ben-efi t], selling SUV’s and buying small cars, no one has sug-gested one solution that will actually work.

During WWII, we had something called gas rationing, personal and commercial, which basically controlled supply and demand. Was it perfect? No, but it was fair and actually did work.

No matter how you appraise the situation, any rush to judgment we may make will be no less than a fantasy—it will be a fraud.

A GAS PROBLEM WHICH TUMS CAN’T CURE

By Bob Zweiman, PNC, President, NMAJMH


Thank You Celebration at Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton

the unprotected window.Bottles and packages containing food, medicine, even

mouthwash, must contain tamper-proof seals; where such a seal is marred, broken, or missing, the affected items(s) cannot be sold to the customer. Corporations’ corner cut-ting to minimize or avoid costs with the non-glassine protected window envelopes is summarily inexcusable, fl agrant hypocrisy, wanton unconscionable indifference, and outright arrogance in view of the fact that these cor-porations continuously pay vast sums for advertising/marketing, not to mention contributing to political cam-paigns for advantages and favors in return. Accordingly, they can well afford providing glassine-covered window

payment return envelope stock, or total non-window en-velope stock to the customer. Many other corporations in fact provide protected return envelopes to customers.

The Nation has not yet experienced insertion of harm-ful/deadly substances into non-glassine covered window envelopes. Just because this has not yet occurred does not mean that this will not happen. Where an ordinary citizen such as this article’s writer can visualize a pend-ing disaster, why could not a prankster, malicious mis-chievant or terrorist (foreign or domestic) visualize such a situation and creation the disaster? Does the Nation again or still have to “wait for the horse to exit the barn before securing the barn door?”

Continued from page 7

Letters to the Editor

On March 12, a celebration to honor the Jewish War Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary was conducted on the “Quarterdeck,” Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton. Jews

were recognized for their 112 years of service to all veterans and their 354 years of Jewish service to our country.

The main speak-ers were Hospital Commander Captain Forrest Faison, JWV representative COL. Maxwell Colon, PDC, Chaplain/Jewish Joel Newman

and Senior Chaplain Ulysses Downing. Donations of food certifi cates, DVDs and handmade

baby outfi ts were given to the hospital for families in need, patients, and other base personnel.

Rabbi Joel Newman thanks JWV for their support to the wounded and those families in need of assistance during this confl ict.

Members of Posts 385, 680 and Ladies Auxiliary listened to Thank You Celebration speeches at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton.

Penny Whitman Post 300 dedicated a bench at the Emery Bennett Veterans Nursing home in Daytona Beach, FL, on Memorial Day to honor Past Commander Sherman Rosen. Shown from left, back row, are Commander Seymour Karens, Irv Hoffman, Jack Resnick, Charles Shalett, Roger Taffany, George Gold, Nursing Home Administrator Belkis Pineyro-Wiggins, and Rabbi/Chaplain Major H.S. Schwartz. Seated are Stan Kates and Mrs. Eileen Rosen, wife of honoree Sherman Rosen.

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Jewish War Veterans 113th Annual National ConventionAugust 10-17, 2008 • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Schedule of Events • Subject to Change

Daily • Aug 12-15• Morning Minyan -8:00 AM

Sunday • Aug 10

• Dinner and a Show Spend a delightful evening at the hotel enjoying

a scrumptious meal while enjoying a dazzling performance by the acclaimed North Star Kids!

Monday • Aug 11

• All Day Tour of Beautiful Pittsburgh Our tour bus will arrive to pick us up at the

hotel at 8:45 AM, and will leave at 9:00 AM. After a day of sightseeing, we will arrive back at the hotel between 4:00 - 4:30 PM.

• NMAJMH Evening Reception

Tuesday • Aug 12

• Wreath-laying Ceremony• Committee Meetings• National Executive Committee Meeting• Vietnam Veterans Night Out• Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Game

Wednesday • Aug 13

• Joint Opening Session, JWV-JWVA Keynote Speaker: Dr. Michael Kussman, •

Under Secretary for Health, VA• Resolutions • 1st JWV Business Session• Century Club Evening Dinner Cruise

Thursday • Aug 14

• 2nd JWV Business Session Speaker: Major General Jessica Wright, •

Adjutant General of Pennsylvania• Committee Meetings• Resolutions• National President’s Banquet

Friday • Aug 15

• 3rd JWV Business Session• Committee Meetings• National Commander Elections• Sabbath Evening Services

Saturday • Aug 16

• Sabbath Morning Services• NMAJMH Board Meeting• Commander’s Banquet

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Convention surcharge for those not staying at the Omni William Penn Hotel $150.00

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Rollaways are available for a one-time charge of $25, but can only be used in a room with a king size bed.


Three Village Post 336 installed offi cers in South Set-auket, NY, at their 34th Annual Installation of Offi cers. Pictured from left are: David Stein, Arthur Golnick, Commander Seymour Kaitz, Seymour Greenberg, Ste-ven Dubin, Martin Kufperberg, and Ira Schwartz. Photo by Alan Golnick.

On March 9, 2008, PNC Jack Berman installed the newly elected offi cers of JWV Post 440 for 2008-2009. Shown from left to right: Cmdr. Phillip Bazil; SVC Morton Abramson, JVC Irving Schildkraut; JA Morris Boruck, and Five-Year Trustee Marvin Liebensohn.

At the recent dinner-dance installation of offi cers of Copper State Post 619, David Feldman received the Post 619 Person of the Year Award. In addition, Michael Achy, Director of Voluntary Services Carl Hayden VAMC in Phoenix (on the right), presented to David, the Carl Hayden Deputy VAVS Offi cer Award, given for outstand-ing service. David plans and coordinates monthy ice cream socials or luncheons at the hospital, prepared a power point presentation for VAMC fund raising which he has used to make over 40 presentations to religious and service groups, and serves weekly in the VAMC sur-gical unit. Photo by Deanna Mintz

Shown at the installation of offi cers at Post 51 are from left to right, Harvey Redak, Norman Hanen-baum, Incoming Post Commander Kevin Fox, National Commander Larry Schulman, Morty Pear, George Glassman, Michael Peck, Marvin Betts, Gerri Ficarro, and Arthur Lerner.

In recognition of his commitment and dedication to preventing Hate Crimes in Nassau County, NY, Ensign Laurence Solowey Post 652 Commander David Zwerin (r) and Adjutant Irwin Braun (l) presented a certifi cate of appreciation to Detec-tive Sergeant Gary Shapiro of the Nassau County Police Department after his speech to the Post.

JWV in Action


Members of Atlanta Post 112 hold a bimonthly Pizza Party at the VA Nursing Home in Atlanta which attracts approximately 75 veterans each time. Shown from left at a recent Party are: Commander Asher Benator, Fred Eisenberg, Grace Benator, Myra Medintz, Don Bloom and Barney Schoenberg.

Aaron Cheerman (center) of Hartford Laurel Post #45 was honored as the “Marine of the Year” by Major General James Williams (at right) who is the Commanding General of all the Marine Reserve Units of the 4th Marine Division. Mrs. Cheerman is shown at left.

A combined color guard of JWV Post 639 and Ko-rean War Veterans Association Chapter 210, both of Brevard County, FL, participated in the John Barry Day observance in Cape Canaveral. From left are Joe Guglich, KWVA; George Rosenfi eld, JWV and KWVA; Mickey Tutolo, KWVA; and Bob Gelbart, JWV. Barry is known as the “Father of the American Navy.”

Manny Peven Post 65 held a Super Bowl Pizza Party for the residents of the Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City, Nevada. Shown serving pizza at the party are Jane Kranson and Post Commander George Barnett.

Shown at a meeting in the Mayor’s offi ce to discuss locating a Fisher House in Miami, which currently doesn’t have one, are from left: Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Former National Editor Dr. Robert Pickard, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and JWV member Lettie Bien.

JWV in Action

The annual memorial service of Albany Post 105 was held on Sunday, May 25, 2008, at the Memorial Grove of the Albany Jewish Community Center. A list of members who had passed away during the past year was read by Sam Poskanzer, Post Chaplain. They are Leon Ziebert, Hal Waltzman, Milton Bindell, Solomon Levine, and Miriam Jaffee. Shown from left to right at the service are: Howard Pressman, Charles Frank, Milton Diamond, Herbert Henkin, Harold Goldman, Sidney Cohen, Samuel Poskanzer, Alvin Cohen, Donald Hirshorn, and Martin Becker.


Members of Chwatsky Farber Post 717, Oceanside, NY, are shown selling poppies to support programs benefi ting hospitalized veterans. Shown from left are: Phil Feingersh, Dan Breier, Lenny Levine and John Robbins.

Queens County Dinner Dance April 6 at West Hempstead Jewish Center [from left]: Senior Vice Commander David Rivkin, Commander Hannah Deutch, Junior Vice Commander Sheldon Bogan.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (center, black suit, blue tie, smiling) is shown thanking the members of the Governor’s Veteran’s Study Council. JWV Department of Ohio was well represented on the Council by Commander Art Kamlet, and alternates PDC Saul Laub (standing next to Gov. Strickland, wearing his JWV Department cap) and PNC Herb Greff. The Study Council unanimously recommended to the Governor that Ohio establish a Cabinet Level Department of Veterans Affairs.

JWV in Action

Members of Annapolis Post 380 pose with television per-sonality Pat Sajak (center) and Anne Arundel County (MD) Sheriff Ronald Bateman prior to participating in a Memorial Day parade in Annapolis, Maryland. CAPT Donna Kahn, NC, USNR (ret), post commander, is at right.

From left: Mrs. Violet Dolny, Beverly Wolfer Nerenberg [sister of the late MAJ Stuart Wolfer, who was killed in Iraq on April 6, 2008], PNC Warren Dolny, and Sara Alp-erstein on at the West Side Institutional Synagogue in Manhattan following “A Community Memorial Program: In memory of America’s fallen soldiers” presented by the Council of Young Jewish Presidents and JCRC.


Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz discusses the veterans program in New York City on a recent visit to the Kew-Forest-Woodside-Loitz Post 250 (Forest Hills, NY) while members (left to right) Bernard Landau, PC Jack Lewis and PCC Kenneth Lloyd Brown look on.

Shown at the Department of MI annual Brotherhood Night Program are from left: Honoree Jasper McCain, Veterans’ Home Director; Honoree Leslee Magidson, Jewish Center Director; DC Jerry Order; Four Chaplains Representative Berna Reinwald; DP Myra Gross; Honoree Shelly Order; Honoree Bernard Gross; Chairman and Michigan Chief of Staff Harmon Tron; and Honoree Ed Florence, PDC AmVets.

For the 2nd consecutive year Venturing Crew 18, chartered to the Jewish War Veterans-Department of Michigan, has been chosen as the “Venturing Crew of the Year” by the Clinton Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Crew 18’s activities revolve around their themes of “Outdoor Adventure and Community Service.” The Crew’s members attend the Frankel Jewish Academy and Detroit Country Day School. Venturing is the high school age, co-ed program of the Boy Scouts of America.

New York County meeting April 6 at the Manhattan VA Medical Center [from left]: Sol Candiotti, Walter Stern, Sidney Blank, Arthur Sellner, Jerry Siskin, Jerome Petitte and Annemarie Mayer.

JWV in Action

National Representatives PNC Bernard Becker and PNP Emma-Lou Rosenstein at the VAVS National Advisory Committee Meeting in Orlando, Florida, April 9-12, 2008.

Shown at the installation of offi cers at Post 45 are Jerry Rakow, Post Commander Elliott Donn, National Com-mander Larry Schulman, Marvin Goldfarb, Terry Gold, and Abe Homar.


JWV in Action

The JWV Kings County Council, under the direc-tion of Executive Director Harold Engelmann, held a special service at the Salem Fields Cemetery to honor the Civil War dead and those who served in other confl icts.

In 1900, Maurice Simmons, Commander of the Hebrew Union Veterans Association, appealed to the general public and their own members on behalf of a monument that they hoped to build to honor their fallen brethren in the Civil War. Of the ap-proximately 7,000 of the Jewish faith who served the Union cause, about 1,096 were from the New York area. Commander Simmons was helped in his project by distinguished Jewish philanthropists and business leaders, including Jacob Schiff, Lyman Bloomingdale, James Seligman, and Nathan Straus. Temple Emanu-El agreed to dedicate part of their Salem Fields Cemetery for this project. Four years later, a magnifi cent monu-ment was erected, with a shaft 50 feet high topped by a ball and an eagle. The inscription on the monument reads, “In memory of the soldiers of the Hebrew faith who responded to the call of their country, and gave their lives for its salvation during the dark days of its need, so that the nation might live 1861-1865.”

Immediately in front of the monument is a tableau erected by the Veterans Corps 69th Regiment in mem-ory of the soldiers of Hebrew faith who served with the 165th Infantry (old 69th New York in WWI), who laid down their lives in the service of their country. Other monuments include a marker for the Spanish American War, Cuba and Puerto Rico, and a second

marker that includes WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Plans are being made to include a marker for Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Junior Vice Commander Arthur Feigenbaum gave the address; Post member Sidney Tanzer gave the offi cial benediction, and Taps was played. American fl ags at the Veterans Grove were replaced. Following the services at Salem Fields, the Kings County Council traveled to Mt. Lebanon Cemetery to visit a special section of headstones, part of the Workmen‘s Circle section, and hold a similar ceremony of reverence, fol-lowed by members replacing fl ags for the new season.

Dolores Snyder, mother of Rodger C. Snyder, a casualty of the Vietnam War for whom Post 117 in Baltimore, MD, is named, is escorted back to her seat by a Naval JROTC cadet of Vietnamese descent after placing a wreath at a ceremony at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery in Owings Mills, MD, on Memorial Day.

KINGS COUNTY COUNCIL RETURNS TO SALEM FIELDS CEMETERY FOR ANNUAL VISIT TO COMMEMORATE JEWISH WAR DEAD

Members of the Kings County Council at Salem Fields, Brooklyn, New York, looking toward Civil War monument. Foreground: Pedestal with tablet erected by Veterans Corps 69th Regiment in memory of the soldiers of Hebrew faith who served with the 165th Infantry (old 169th in New York).

From left Anton Gantz, Irwin Beck, and Jack Holzman of Sgt. Meyer Levin Post 169, Flatbush, at the service at Salem Fields Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.


JWV in Action

Members of Post 316 are shown observing Memorial. Day. From left: Edith Landberg, Ralph Binder, Jerry Levine, Sam Weinstein, Henry Lewis, Arthur Landberg, Abe Schwartz, Arthur Tauber, PCD Sol L. Friedman, and PDC Mike Winnick.

PNC Warren S. Dolny (at left) is shown on-board the USS Kearsarge with the Commanding Offi cer, Captain Jim Gregorsky, during Fleet Week ceremonies on Sunday, May 25, 2008, in NY harbor in honor of Memorial Day.

Shown at the annual installation of offi cers for 2008-09 of Onondaga Post 131, Dewitt, NY, are from left: Adjutant Dr. Allen Rosenberg, Commander Bruce Fein, SVC Isaac Rossoff, JVC Mort Miller, and Quartermaster Sam Siegel.

Shown at recent visit to the Department of Pennsylvania by NC Larry Schulman are from left, front row: JWVA Dept. President Barbara Singer and JWVA National President Norma Schreiber; back row: Dept. Commander Jerome Polonsky, NC Schulman, and PNC Sam Greenberg.

Minnesota Department Commander Sidney Schmuck-ler (at right), shown with State Representative Carol McFarlane, was recently honored by the Minnesota State Legislature for his efforts on behalf of veterans and for his work as Chairman of the committee to se-lect applicants for the service academies. PDP Irving Rosenblum was among the distinguished guests at the ceremonies.

Members of JWV Post 60 recently participated in the celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary at Temple Beth Jacob in Redwood City, CA. Shown from left are Nathan Friedman, Sam Silverman, Stuart Levin, and Miriam Friedman.


People and Places• Harvey Levine, Past Post Commander of Capitol Post 122, Columbus, OH, received the Distinguished Flying Cross, cited for “extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial fl ight,” on Oct. 1, 2007, 63 years after the mission that earned him the award. The award, presented by Gen. Bruce Carlson, was earned for his disposal of a live bomb in fl ight while on a return from a bombing mission over Mainz, Germany, on Oct. 19, 1944.• JWV Post 395 made a generous monetary dona-tion to the Menlo Park, NJ, Veterans Home to purchase items from the Resident Wish List. The presentation was made by PPC Al Sossner, PDC Ben A. Roth, and Chaplain Seymour Stein.• Onondaga Post 131, Dewitt, NY, member Jack Groskin won the 100-meter dash’s age 80-84 cat-egory at the Empire State Senior Games. The veteran of the battle for Iwo Jima is planning to compete in the 200-meter dash in the next games.• Commander Sam Nilva of the Nilva-Dansky-Neff Post 331, St. Louis Park, MN, is the proud grandfather of Eddie Nevin, a Marine who has recently returned from Iraq. • Jerome Holzman, of Dan Michelson-Livingston Post 740, recently received a medal from the Czech Republic commemorating those who helped to liberate the country in 1945. Mr. Holzman attributes the long delay in the issuance of the medals to the secrecy surrounding the events of WWII during the period of the Cold War. • Sid Singer of Post 718 has been named one of the winners of the 2007 Jefferson Awards for Public Service in the Pittsburgh, PA, area. For more than 40 years, Mr. Singer has been the driving force behind Veterans Place of Washington Blvd., a $2.5 million transitional housing facility in Larimer for former military men and women struggling with psychiatric issues, substance abuse and homelessness.• Post Member SGT Eric Mejia, just back from his fourth deployment in Iraq, was the special guest at a recent meeting of San Fernando Valley Post 603. Post 603 and SGT Mejia helped with the donation of school supplies to Iraqi children. • PDC Sam Fox of Memorial Post 346, St. Louis, MO, was recently featured in the St. Louis

Post-Dispatch as the oldest competitor in the St. Louis Senior Olympics and the captain of his bowling team. Fox, who is 94 years old, has won 6 ribbons in the Senior Olympics bowling competition. • The B’nai Zion Foundation hosted a special lun-cheon in honor of the New York metro-area Jewish War Veterans Executive Committee on Monday, June 2, 2008. Also being honored were members of their Ladies Auxiliary Executive Committee, JWV Liberators and Holocaust Survivors for their patriotic service and leadership in the American Jewish community and for their contributions to the State of Israel. National Commander Larry Schulman attended as a special guest of honor.• JWV National Commander Lawrence Schulman was the speaker at the Annual Post 105 Induction Brunch that took place on June 1 at the Albany JCC. In addition the new offi cers for 2008-2009 were inducted and there was a special recognition of Sol Koven for his long service as Post Adjutant. Post Quartermaster Martin Becker and his wife Nora have again participated in a series of presentations on the Holocaust to students at sev-eral schools in the Capital District. Their presenta-tion, entitled “The Holocaust – Shoah, a Reality, an Actuality,” was given to students at the Temple Beth Emeth Hebrew School, the Albany Academy for Boys and Watervliet High School. Both Martin and Nora were born in Germany. Nora survived the Holocaust in Belgium as a “hidden child” in a Catholic convent. Martin escaped to France in 1939 and then to the U.S. in 1940. • Members of the Honor guard of William Kretchman Post 730 at the Broward County, FL, Senior Volunteer Luncheon were Marvin Simon, Bill Kling, Irving Alpern, Paul Wolf, Stanley Levy, Michael Bogdanoff, and Jack Turek. • Arkansas Post 436 met in North Little Rock, AR, for its annual installation dinner. Awards for meri-torious service were presented to Steven Koenig, Jeffrey A. Hart, Avrom David Goldberg, and Stanley J. Goldberg for their assistance at the Jewish Federation Food Fair in 2007. Installation of offi cers was conducted by Stanley Goldberg and Jerry Sherman. The offi cers for the com-ing year are Commander Sherrill Bernstein,


The JWV welcomes our newest members to our fold. We hope you will join with us and participate in our many programs and activities.

New Members

Department At LargeHarold E. Austin-100 • Alan M. Kofman-100 • Murray N. Kunkes-100 • Richard E. Lewis-100 • Stephen L. Naman-100Department of ConnecticutFred S. Katten-45 • Edward L. Molans-45 • Norman Hanenbaum-51 • David H. Pear-51Department of FloridaAlbert I. Rice-177 • Daniel Balk-202 • Michael D. Karsevar-400 • Alvin Lazurus-440 • Irving D. Fa-lik-459 • Bernard Gold-631 • Henry M. Simon-639 • Morton Stern-639Department of Illinois Byron S. Berlin-29 • James L. Cowen-29 • Vic-tor Kaufman-89 • Morris Rosman-89 • Phillip O. Mankoff-282 • Miriam M. Webster-407Department of MassachusettsHoward S. Cooper-157 • Melvin Gitner-157 • Sumner S. Sachs-157 • Hyman B. Sokolov-157 • Marc Sorg-man-157 • Rabbi Geoffrey J Haber-211 • William M. Cole-220 • Edward P. Gustat-220Department of NevadaPhilip M. Shalitt-30

Department of New JerseyMilton Frankel-39 • Norman H. Green-39 • Wil-liam E. Hersh-126 • Angelo F. Vinciguerra-126 • Sol Schwartzbard-695 • Seymour Fleisher-741Department of New YorkLeonard A. Ressel-41• Stephen J. Zweig-41 • Irving M. Breitbart- 46 • Albert M. Bromberg-46 • Herbert L. Brown-46 • Samuel Crespi-46 • Burton Elion-46 • Robert M. Elisofon-46 • Rolf Hildinger-46 • Sol Bad-er-250 • Phil Goldstein-336 • Leon B. Weinstein-500 • Lawrence H. Kronenberg-652 • Walter M. Mintz-652 • Carl M. Ynni-652 • Seymour I. Yanofsky-673Department of OhioRonald L. Jacobs-44 • Bob Smollin-44 • Richard T. Streem-44 • A. Louis Keil-122Department of PennsylvaniaDavid M. Cook-499Department of the Southwest (AZ-NM)Burton Kruglick-194 • Zvi Harry Glaser-210Department of TX/AR/LA/OKIrving D. Gewertz-256 • Burton L. Siegel-256 • Milton Fingerman-580 • Milton J. Simons-757

Sr. Vice Commander Jerry Sherman, Jr. Vice Commander Stanley Goldberg, Quartermaster Manford Levy, and Adjutant Ben Schwartz.

• Commander Sid Wakser and Junior Vice Commander Sandy Binkofsky of Paul A. Rosenblum Post 44 in Cleveland, OH, have recently announced that 137 of the Post’s long-time regular members have become life members, bringing over one-half of the members of Post 44 to life-member status.

• JWV Department of Minnesota members Richard Brown and Leon Frankel are featured in the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest’s journal, Prairie Perspectives: Our Jewish Veterans Remember World War II.

People and Places Finally, JWV member Irving Givot has been awarded medals for his WWII service despite loss of his re-cords in a fi re in St. Louis in which records of many of our servicemen were lost. Representative Steve King (R-IA) presented the long-delayed medals to Mr. Givot in April 2008

“There’s a character of our veterans, and it’s espe-cially true, I think, of our World War II Veterans. They never ask for anything. They went and they served, and they came home and went to work,” King explains.

Mr. Givot says, “The heroes are 400,000 guys who didn’t come back. They’re the ones. You can never do enough for you country, for this country anyway, you can never do enough.”

Givot, who took part in several Asian invasions, received the World War Two Victory Medal, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star, and the Asiatic-Pacifi c Campaign Medal.

JWV Member Receives Recognition 60 Years Later


Reunions• The Second Engineer Special Brigade (Army Amphibs) has scheduled their reunion for Sept. 15-18, 2008, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact Paul Lieberman, 311 Dorset H, Boca Raton, FL 33434, 561-482-9862, [email protected]. • USS Plymouth Rock, LSD-29, 7th reunion will take place Sept. 18-21, 2008, at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport, MO. Contact David Dortch, 870-236-3725, [email protected], or Richard Mathis, 870-566-2619, [email protected].

• Former shipmates of the USS William C. Lawe, DD763, will hold a reunion Oct. 16-19, 2008, in Virginia Beach, VA. Contact Owen Turner, 51 Miriam Road, Waltham, MA 02451, 781-891-3043, [email protected].

• 80th Infantry Blue Ridge Division Veterans Association 89th Annual Reunion will be held at the Hotel Carlisle, 1700 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, PA 17013, Aug. 13-16, 2008. Contact Eugene O’Neil, 301-627-1793 or [email protected].

• USS William M. Wood (DD 715/DDR 715) 12th reunion will take place Oct. 16-19, 2008, in Pittsburgh, PA. Contact Jack Walters, 4667 Bowes Avenue, West Miffl in, PA 15122, 412-461-6010, or [email protected].

• U.S. Navy Amphibious Force Veterans Association will hold a reunion Sept. 2-7, 2008, at the Comfort Suites, Laurel Lakes, MD. Contact John J. Walsh, 732-367-6472 or [email protected].

• USS IWO JIMA Class Association—USS IWO JIMA (LPH2/JHD7), USS OKINAWA (LPH3), USS TRIPOLI (LPH10/CVE64), USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH11)—will hold a reunion Oct. 15-19, 2008, at the Marriott Hotel, Chesapeake, VA. Contact Robert G. McAnally, 866-237-3137, or [email protected].

• USS Rochester (CA-124) reunion will take place Oct. 2-6, 2008, in Washington, DC. Contact Ed Willis, 505 E. Braddock Rd., Apt. 408, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-683-8885, or [email protected].

• Marine Air Groups Reunion, WWII to present, will be held in Branson, MO, Oct. 22-25, 2008. Contact James Jordan 417-535-4945, or [email protected], or Bob Miller, 636-327-5854.

• Reunion of the USS Mississippi EAG128 will take place Fall 2008 in Chattanooga, TN. Contact Mel Kaplan, 201-796-3795.

• 23rd Annual Reunion of the USCGC Campbell Association W-32 and W-909 will take place Sept. 8-12, 2008, at the Stonecastle Hotel, Branson, MO. Contact Gordon Bell, 723 Spring Lane, Landsdale, PA 19446, 215-393-6195, or [email protected].

• 55th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice and 13th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Annual Day of Recognition Ceremonies will take place on July 27, 2008, at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC. Contact Jack Cloman at 410-676-1388 or Tony Dzierski at 703-451-5591.

• Reunion of the 35th Infantry Division will take place Sept. 3-7, 2008, in Springfi eld, IL. Please contact COL Robert Dalton at 785-267-3295 or go to 35thInfDivAs-soc.com.

In Search Of• Looking for John Gillman, 9th Infantry Division, 39th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Company H, in WWII. Please contact Gerald Liebel in care of Catherine Liebel, 56 Colebourne Rd., Rochester, NY 14609, 585-249-0449, [email protected].

• Historian Dr Helen Fry is writing a book on the refugees from Nazism who served in American Forces in WWII. Veterans please email: [email protected] or write to: 38 Temple Gardens, London NW11 0LL, England.

• Trying to locate the family of a World War I vet who served with my father, Meyer Epstein in the 4th Division from 1917-1919. The individual whose fam-ily I am trying to locate was named Ruben (or Ruby) Schusterman. He was from Philadelphia and had two children - a son and a daughter. Inquiries can be sent to Leonard Epstein, 41A George Washington Drive, Monroe Township, NJ 08831, 609-395-8741.

• Looking for people who served with my father, Bernard C. Bryman, in WWII. He was a PFC in Company E, 135th Infantry, and spent time recu-perating from his wounds at Thomas M. England


Marc J. Cohen P.O. Box 100637Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33310-637

Phone: (954) 565-9754

I am interested in:Helmets, Uniforms, Medals, Gas Masks, Buttons, Canteens, Badges, Hats, Belts, Bayonets, Patches, Daggers, Flags, Knives, and Many Other Unique Items.

Buy•Sell•TradeBoth

World Wars

GERMAN & JAPANESE War Souvenirs Wanted!

[email protected]

General Hospital in Atlantic City, NJ. Please contact Clifford Bryman, 625 E. Lancaster Ave., Apt. B105, Wynnewood, PA, 19096.

• In search of a family member, Bernard Feldman, who was a paratrooper in the Army in France during WWII. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Westchester County, New York, possibly around 1926. Please contact Ruth Weiss Greenwald, c/o Elwin & Co., 2971 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley MI 48072, 248-547-8846.

• Charles Press who served in the 90th Infantry Div., 357th Battalion, during WWII is looking for his bazoo-ka partner, Harvey Goldreyer of Jamaica, NY. Please contact Mr. Press at 717-545-1081.

In Search Of

Passover in the DesertPassover in the Desert

dom because the meal is not what bubby made (it’s hard to fully enjoy kosher l’pesach MREs), and second, our family and friends are not here. However, it is because of where we are we know the profound meaning of Passover. How many Jews have this great opportunity to be part of making history and most importantly to be actively involved in bringing freedom to a place that never knew it?

We will have the opportunity to experience this year’s seder from an insightful perspective. Just as the Passover seder that I conducted 17 years ago outside Kuwait City had a profound impact on me, this year’s Passover will have a profound impact. It seems to have come to a full circle, a circle of freedom – Passover 1991 liberation of Kuwait to Passover 2008 liberation of Iraq from a modern day Pharaoh.

Continued from page 8

sary of the historic East-meets-West link-up in 1955, the AP photo appeared in a Milwaukee Wisconsin, newspa-per, and one of the Russian soldiers (center facing cam-era) was identifi ed as Charles Thau who immigrated to the U.S. after the war to eventually own two successful automobile repair garages. Furthermore, in a strange twist characterizing life’s journey and how small the world really is, after the war, Pvt Philpott lived for a few years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just blocks away from Charles Thau, the previously unidentifi ed Russian solider with whom he shared vodka, chocolate, and a handshake on the Elbe bridge.

All the above was unknown to the principals of ei-ther the City of Torgau or each of the commemorative military organizations until the age of the Internet when the son of Charles Thau, Jeffrey Thau, helped connect the legacy dots for the commemorative organizations. Unfortunately, Lt Charles Thau, the previously un-known Russian soldier, passed away before the connec-tions were made and the celebrants were made aware of his identity. However, this did not stop the Mayor of Torgau, Ms Andrea Staude, from inviting Jeffrey Thau to attend the 63rd anniversary of the event in April to represent his father.

For what today is known as Elbe Day, Torgau spon-sored Jeff’s attendance and honored him as a represen-tative of his father at this year’s commemoration of the 1945 WWII link-up event between the Americans and the Russian forces. Activities included a formal dedica-tion at the Elbe River site, a solemn wreath laying by various ambassadors and dignitaries from Russia, the United States, and Germany, as well as the release of dozens of doves symbolizing continued enduring peace and honoring all the civilians and victims who lost their lives. The city of Torgau also sponsored a pleasure boat cruise down the Elbe River past the exact site where 63 years earlier the historic link-up of military forces occurred.

As the mayor of Torgau said in her remarks, “Time marches on, the memory of this time remains and it will continue to be with us through the daughters and sons of the Veterans from East and West.

[Jeffrey Thau, a retired US Air Force Colonel is Vice Commander of Dayton Post 587 of the JWV.]

Memories of a HandshakeContinued from page 9


Museum News President’s Message By PNC Robert M. Zweiman

From the Exhibits Chair By Florence Levine, PNP

How much do you know about the National Museum of American Jewish Military History? In the 50 years since it was chartered by an act of Congress, it has evolved into a place of honor among museums.

We are members of the AAM (American Association of Museums) and have been awarded grants by them through the years to enhance and upgrade our existence. We are members of CAJM (Council of American Jewish Museums) a highly regarded group of over 75 muse-ums. Its leaders meet every year in various locations to exchange ideas and help each other with workshops and lectures. I have had the opportunity to be part of both organizations and have returned with new ideas and suggestions. We have been invited to participate in functions with other museums, and we have done so. It is always troubling to me, that many of our own mem-bers of JWV and JWVA take such a short view of the

museum. Outside of our organizations in the “museum world,”

we are highly regarded. What is wrong with our own members whose history is preserved in this museum, and they are not interested in being a member of the museum? Is it because it is in Washington, and they are not there? That cannot be it because I see evidence of their participation in many organizations that are not in their hometown. What is it? I am puzzled and would appreciate an opinion and answer from someone as to why they are not members of the museum.

Of course, I am grateful to the many that do support it, but by percentage, it is really a small amount. Where is everyone else? When the museum was dedicated (25 years ago), leaders of government honored us with their attendance. They must have seen it as a place to edu-cate the public. Where are our own people?

MENTORING

There are a number of ways for people to get knowledge, experience, and understanding of the way you look at pursuing your job or your profession or your way of life.

Most of the time, we refer to someone who has at-tained a dominant position in a fi eld or philosophy whose life we seek to emulate, hoping to attain the same degree of success. We may take schooling or read volumes to attain an understanding of the approach taken and to be followed.

A more usual method is taking courses from men-tors—a classroom approach to learning how. The best way is being an intern to or working for or with the men-tor, or being counseled by an experienced and knowl-edgeable mentor.

Frankly, I recognize our Museum as being a mentor providing the best technique in the use of such a term or in imagining a clone design.

We have presented a most valuable learning tool both locally and nationally. Our physical plant in Washington houses our Exhibits and displays for those visitors [Jew and non-Jew] a visual experience in actually seeing the artifacts, documents and memorabilia.

Our archives maintain the documentary evidence and corroboration, supporting for researchers the truth of our story together with some additional material of interest.

We found that to be the case in our most recent exhibit com-memorating the 75th anniver-sary of JWV’s March in New York City to institute a boycott against the Nazis. Although it was assumed that we had mini-mal information on the March, we found that our archives housed much valuable mate-rial. That frankly is an example of the defi ned need for a repository of available confi rming and substantial data.

We are now in the process of developing a new per-manent exhibit expanding a look at Jewish military ser-vice to our nation. It will take us from Asher Levy to the present in Jewish military ventures in America.

Our mentoring will have far greater importance when applied to a national recognition of the integral deploy-ment of American Jews in the growth and defense of the United States. This is where facts will be supportive of our actions. This is where we shall foster our community pride.

In further development of our Heritage programming, we put together a daily story of American Jewish heroes for each day of May, which was Jewish American Heritage Month [please see our web site, www.nmajmh.org]. In addi-

Continued on next page


THE PRIVILEGE OF PROTECTING OUR MILITARY HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW, BY PLANNED GIVING TODAY By Seymour Weinstein, JWV National Legacy and Welfare Chairman

LETTER OF INTENTIn the tradition of our Jewish Faith, I wish to share my blessing with the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. I have made or will make a gift during my lifetime or will make a provision in my Will or Trust to the National Museum of American Jewish Military History Endowment Fund.

__________________________________________________________Signature Date

__________________________________________________________Print Name

I understand that this Letter of Intent is not a legal obligation and may be changed at any time at my discretion. Please return this Letter of Intent to the NMAJMH, 1811 R Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009 or call (202) 265-6280 or email to [email protected].

In the April 2008 issue of the Jewish Veteran, I discussed the need of the National Museum of American Jewish Military History to maintain a Permanent Endowment Program to sustain itself for the purpose of preserving the history of Jewish involvement in the defense of our nation throughout our nation’s history.

Each Jewish veteran becomes part of this vital his-tory and each Jewish veteran must commence a Planned Giving Program to preserve this heritage for tomorrow.

Giving to the Museum Endowment Fund can take many forms: outright gifts of cash or appreciated long term securities during life or upon death, transfers of life insurance policies or retirement benefi ts no longer needed for your family’s protection, transfers of real estate or other tangible property and charitable gift an-nuities. Each gift results in an income or estate tax de-duction for the donor.

The Museum Endowment Fund in a legally con-stituted, supervised repository capital reserve account, separate and distinct from the Museum operating bud-get. Income will be used to apply an additional revenue

stream to supplement dues and to support a sound fi -nancial future. Principal will be used for specifi c exhib-its and enrichment programs and for improvements and enhancement of the Museum facilities.

All contributions, regardless of size, are accept-ed into the General Unrestricted Endowment Fund. However, donors can also make their contributions to a Donor Advised Fund or a Donor Restricted Fund. A Donor Advised Fund permits the donor to “advise” how the money may be used from year to year. A Donor Restricted Fund sets up a program in advance as to the specifi c use or uses of the Fund.

By utilizing the benefi ts provided by the Federal tax laws, the Museum Endowment Fund presents a unique opportunity to achieve both your fi nancial and philan-thropic goals.

Set forth below is a non-binding Letter of Intent to be completed and returned to the Museum to show your commitment to the Privilege of Protecting our Military Heritage.

Museum Newstion to our traveling exhibits, it is important that we spread the work of our May presentations and the other materials on our web site.

Internal and external mentoring is absolutely neces-sary for us to be able to spread the words of our mission.

This is where You and other volunteers can involve yourselves and others in spreading the words of our pride. This is where You learn to teach and learn at the same time, giving you an opportunity to be a mentor and be a damn good one.

Continued from previous page


KEY B: Bequest BF: Building FundC: CatalogsD: General Donation

DJWVA: General Donation JWVAE: Endowment FundH: Honorial WallHFMG: Harvey Friedman Memorial Grant

T: Tree of HonorTJWVA: Tree of Honor, JWVAV: Proposed Vietnam exhibit component to Permanent

Exhibit fundY: Yahrzeit ProgramYD: Yahrzeit Program anniversary contributionsYPJWVA: Yahrzeit Program JWVA

50th: NMAJMH 5oth Anniversary Events 75th: JWV Protest March Against Nazi Germany Exhibit

The National Museum of American Jewish American Military History is pleased to acknowledge the following people for their donations to the Museum.

Donations • March 15, 2008 - May 20, 2008

$1000+ The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Prescott (D) • the Estate of Walter Blumenthal (B) • Alexander Adler (H)

$500+Bicentennial Post 976 (D) • Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Roberts (D) • Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan LaPook (T) • Sgt. Manny Peven Post 65 (D) • Murray Rosen Post 64 (D) • Eugene and Bette Kasanof (T) • Furer-Barag-Wolf Post 126 (T)

$100+Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sherman (D) • Jewish Residents of Leisure World (D) • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (C ) • PNP Sylvia R. Piltch (YD) • Elliot and Elissa Donn (T) •

Perlman-Malin Post 800 (T) • Roy S. Karp & Peg St. Lawrence (T) • Jack and Shirley Saltzman (T) • Harvey Cohen (T) • Aaron Dobzewitz (T) • Meyer and Miriam Teitelbaum (T) • Century Village Post 265 (T) • Eddie and Audrey Eisenstein (T) • Sam and Mildred Rosenstein (T) • The Department of Minnesota (T) • Kenneth Wayne (T) Jacob Sandy Lodge,Inc (T) • Queens County Council (Y) • John and Sarah Nemon (Y) • Steven Hecht (Y) • Col. Maxwell S. Colon (Y) • Melvin Schulman (Y) • Lts. Schwartz/Kerchman Post 720 (Y) • LCDR Ben Dobris Post 750 (Y) • Morris and Lila Blatt (Y) • Snyder-Tokson Post 459 (Y) • John and Hazel Folsom (of Bicentennial Post 976) (Y) • Skokie Auxiliary 328 (YJWVA)

Tree of Honor By Iris Goldwasser, ChairmanOur Tree of Honor is a highly visible symbol of the sup-port shown for our Museum by those folks who have purchased a leaf, an acorn, or a rock. The tree is directly located in the Museum near the Hall of Heroes exhibit, and it is the fi rst thing visitors see when they step off of the elevator. All who have seen it will tell you that it is an impressive display that refl ects the deep commitment to documenting and commemorating the service, hero-ism, and sacrifi ce by Americans of Jewish faith in the armed forces of the United States.

The Tree of Honor is a great success and we are sure to reach our goal of a completed Tree by our National

Convention in August 2008, in time for the 50th anni-versary of the Museum. If you have been considering purchasing a leaf, an acorn, or a rock, now is the time to do so, while there are still some available.

If you need more information about the Tree of Honor, please contact Mary Westley at 202-265-6280. She will be delighted to assist you in making sure your name or the name of a loved one is added as a proud supporter. You can also fi nd more information by click-ing on the Tree of Honor icon on the Museum’s home-page at www.nmajmh.org.

In 2004, LtCmdr. Arthur Eisenstein of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corp. aided in the rescue efforts of passengers of a capsized Baltimore Harbor water taxi. LtCmdr. Eisenstein, along with 26 others, was presented the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism for his actions and to this day remains humbled.

When Arthur’s father, Eddie Eisenstein, called the museum recently and asked to speak to our Docent Mr. Rosenzweig, he said “ I am coming to the museum to tell you about my hero, my son.”

Mr. Eisenstein chose to pay tribute to his son’s brav-ery and patriotism with a leaf on our Tree of Honor.

A Tree of Honor Tribute


The National Museum of American Jewish Military History (NMAJMH) celebrated Jewish American Heritage Month by hosting an evening reception for members of Congress, including members of the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. The re-ception was coordinated through the offi ce of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who introduced resolutions in 2006 urging the President to proclaim a month (May) that would rec-ognize the 352-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture.

Museum President, PNC Robert M. Zweiman, Museum 2nd Vice President, PNC Norman Rosenshein, and Museum Director/ NED, Col. Herb Rosenbleeth provided greetings. President Zweiman introduced the group to the Museum’s exhibitions and goals. The pre-sentation was followed by a tour of the museum exhibits by Museum docent Richard Rosenzweig and a “behind the scenes” look at some of the museum’s most interest-ing artifacts led by Collections Assistant Mike Rugel.

We look forward to another visit from these and other

members of Congress, and we are delighted to be apart of their outreach endeavors.

NMAJMH Celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month with Congressional Visit

One of the many thousands of World War II topics available on the American Jewish Military Heritage program is information regarding “Victory at Sea,” which is located at http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/fi lmnotes/victoryatsea.html .

This 26-part TV documentary was produced by Henry Salomon and NBC chairman David Sarnoff. It was based on the 15-volume “History of United States Naval Operations in World War II” by Samuel E. Morison. The music was by Richard Rogers (originally-Rojazinsky-a landsman). The episodes and subjects were:1. Design for War-Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1941

2. The Pacifi c Boils Over-Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

3. Sealing the Breach-Anti-Submarine Warfare, 1941-1943

4. Midway Is East-Japanese Victories and the Midway Battle

5. Mediterranean Mosaic-Gibraltar, Allied Enemy Fleets, Malta

6. Guadalcanal

7. Rings around Rabaul-Struggle for the Solomon Islands

8. Mare Nostrum-Mediterranean Command, 1940-1942

9. Sea and Sand—Invasion of North Africa, 1942-1943

10. Beneath the Southern Cross-War in the South Atlantic

11. Magnetic North—War from Murmansk to Alaska

12. The Conquest of Micronesia Carrier Warfare-Gilberts And Marshalls

13. Melanesian Nightmare—New Guinea Campaign

14. Roman Renaissance- Sicily and the Italian Campaign

15. D-Day—Normandy

16. Killers and the Killed-Victory in the Atlantic, 1943-1945

17. The Turkey Shoot-Conquest of the Marianas

18. Two If by Sea—Peleliu and Angaur

19. Battle for Leyte Gulf-Sea Battle for Leyte Gulf

20. Return of the Allies-Liberation of the Philippines

21. Full Fathom Five-U.S. Submarines, 1941-1945

22. The Fate of Europe-Black Sea, South of France, Surrender

23. Target Suribachi—Iwo Jima

24. The Road to Mandalay China, Burma, India, and Indian Ocean

25. Suicide for Glory—Okinawa

26. Design for Peace-Surrender of Japan and Aftermath of War

“Victory at Sea” By Ray Biondo, M.D.

Pictured from left to right, Museum Second Vice President, Norman Rosenshein, Museum President Robert Zweiman, Congress members Allison Schwartz (PA), Gary Ackerman (NY), Susan Davis (CA), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)


TapsDepartment At LargeArnold Batavia-100 • Bernard C. Bryman-100 • Irwin D. Hirschfi eld-100 • Stuart Adam Wolfer-100 • Joseph E. Bernhardt-180

Department of CaliforniaHarry Stockser-603 • Fred Shulkin-750

Department of ConnecticutAlbert M. Shenkman-45

Department of District of ColumbiaSolomon Rubin-58

Department of FloridaStanley Soirefman-321 • Joseph Chudnoff-400 • Norman Fialkow-440 • Charles Strauss-440 • Martin Schweitzer-475 • Lester Swallwood- 475 • Shirley Siegel-505 • Milton S. Rubin-506 • Edward Michaelis- 519 • Martin Goldberg-520 • Leonard Karashik- 682 • Fred Frishman-759 • Sidney Prince-759 • Dave Sokolow-759 • Philip Novack-819

Department of IllinoisHerman Block-153 • Julius Smith-153 • Burton Cohen-328 • Jack Reich-328 • Sam Schraeger-407 • Robert Wolf- 407 • Byron M. Goldstein-800 • Gordon K. Rosenberg-800

Department of MarylandWalter D. Hyle, Jr.-167 • Peter B. Berman-692

Department of MassachusettsLouis Zwirn- 26 • Benjamin Silverman-32 • Foster Lowenthal- 168 • Samuel Gorenstein-187 • Carl Goodman-193 • Bertrant Shaffer, MD-193 • Isadore Goodman-211 • Dr. Arthur Z. Mutter-211 • Charlotte Lieberman-313 • Arnold Glasser-485 • Philip Epstein-638 • Simme Pickman-656

Department of MichiganLeonard Mitz-135

Department of NevadaJoseph Fink- 65 • Bob A. Roland-65 • Leonard Rudner-65

Department of New JerseyJoseph Gordon-10 • Jerome Hershfi eld-10 • Leo Jacobs-10 • Harry Sieber-10 • Leonard Nach-47 • Philip Finkler-63 • Kenneth E. Kouri- 125 • Leonard Rosen-125 • Saul Singer- 133 • Martin L. Fink-273 • Franklin Rosner-273 • Bernard S. Feinberg-316 • Seymour Lapidus-316 • Boris Cohen- 395 • Leonard H. Haber- 395 • Bernard Polonsky- 741 • Robert Ross- 741 • Jack S. Shapiro-741 • Harry Brachfeld-972

Department of New YorkMorris Eisenberg-2 • Harold Brodsky-3 • Milton Honig-3 • David Blank- 68 • David Guest-68 • Sydney Winick-68 • Miriam Jaffee-105 • Isidore Tirschwell-129 • Solomon Waltuch-129 • Marvin M. Hoffman-131 • Seymour Katz-191 • Robert Baron-250 • Walter L. Meyer-250 • Nathan Berman-297 • Howard I. Shapiro-297 • Gertrude Isikoff- 655 • Noah Kaplan- 673 • Philip Brown-769 • Jack Weinberg-793

Department of OhioGeorge Elefant-33 • Martin Brown-44 • Jack Gold- 44 • Albert Kay- 44

Department of PennsylvaniaAaron Raymond-134 • Ethel Brucker-176 • Norman Smulovitz-212 • Martin Cooper-215 • David D. Brozgal-290 • David Slotkin-305 • Saul Brean-499 • Norman Cousin-499 • Leonard Weisenberg-499 • Bernard Good-575 • Martin Aaron-706 • Lee Horvitz-718 • Emanuel Klein-718 • Nathan S. Klieman-791

Department of the Southeast GA/AL/SC/TNLeo Schneider-121 • Joseph Daitch-531 • Sidney Fishman-531 • Gerald Foreman-531 • Daniel Silbert-531 • Harry Silverstein-531 • Irving Skolnick-531 • A. Tamkin-531 • Irving Yablon-531 • Charles S. Bauman-976

Department of the Southwest AZ-NMDavid L. Axelrod-619

Department of Virginia/North CarolinaMorton Ronick-453

Yahrzeits may be viewed by visiting the NMAJMH website. If you would like Yahrzeit assistance, please contact Mary Westley at 202-265-6280.

CMDR. Allan Abramson & Wife SheilaHappy Days and Good Health

PNC Lou & PDP Gloria Abramson

Jerry & Sara Alperstein

Robert Baker • Best Wishes

Howard M. Barmad • Post 76-NJChag Sameach

Howard A. & Dorothy G. BergerNaples, FL/Denver, CO

CMDR. Stan Bilker & JVP AdelePost 697, PA • L’Chaim to All

PNatl. Adj. Izzy & PDP Harriet Brosbe

Central District Council, PA

Fegelson Young Feinberg Post 697Levittown, PA

Nat. Inspector Sidney & Fay Goldman

PNC Sam & PNP Barb GreenbergHappy Holidays to All

PCC-PNEC Arthur H. Greenwald • Post 69PCP Mildred Pirkowsky • Aux 3

Roland Greenwald•Holiday Greetings

Donald H. Haber, PDC-NY

Susan Schneider HelsingerPresident, Dept. of NY - 2007/2008

Larry D. Holman • Post 706-PABest Wishes to All

Jewish War Veterans USA Post 1Our Original Post

PC Arthur & Barbara Kahn • Post 74-MAL’Chayim and Best Wishes to All

Beth Kane Wishes You Happy HolidaysEnjoy Good Health • Enjoy Your Meals!

Ira & Shelley NovoselskyHappy Holidays

Th e Perlman -Matlin Post 800Best Wishes & Happy New Year

Dr. Edward & Renee PenzerTo All the Very Best Wishes

Dr. Robert & Mrs. Susan Pickard

LT. J. I. Platt Post 651 • Fairlawn, NJQueens County Council

Queens, New York

Jerry & Lea Rosenberg • Post 740-NJGood Health & Happiness to All

Herb & Francie RosenbleethHappy Holiday to You and Yours!

PDC/NEC Murray Runin

PDC Ralph & Florence Shear • Post 459

Harriet & PDC Norman Schnitzer

NC Lawrence & Judith SchulmanOur Very Best Wishes to All

Ralph & Marian Schwartz • Post 625

PPC Norman & Toby Smith • Post 129-NY

PNEC Leroy & PNP Marie Vegotsky

Ken & Anita Volk • Post 510-MIShalom - Peace on Earth

PNC Robert & Jeri ZweimanTo Life

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Captain Joshua L. Goldberg, USNFirst Rabbi Commissioned as a Naval Chaplain

Joshua Louis Goldberg was born in Bobrouisk, Russia on January 6, 1896. Goldberg spent his early school years in Bobrouisk, attended the College Herzeliah in Tel Aviv, Palestine (1912-1914) and enrolled in the University of Odessa in 1916. After serving as a private in the Russian Army during World War I, Goldberg made an eight-month journey to the United States, arriving in Seattle in 1916. After mov-ing to New York and working in a factory, he volunteered for the U.S. Army and served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, earning the rank of master sergeant.

After the war, Goldberg taught Hebrew classes at the Pennsylvania Avenue Talmud Torah and the Brooklyn Jewish Center. Following a chance meeting with Jewish Institute of Religion director, Stephen Wise, Goldberg attended the Institute in New York, where he was ordained as a rabbi and earned the degree of Master of Hebrew Literature in 1927. He received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Institute in 1951. Goldberg served as rabbi of the Astoria Center of Israel until 1942, when he volunteered for the U.S. Navy and became the fi rst rabbi commissioned as a naval chaplain in World War II. During the war, he traveled with members of the Protestant and Catholic clergy to naval bases around the world. By conducting interfaith services, he made sure American soldiers and sailors had places to worship regardless of their faith.

Following the war, Goldberg participated in two NATO conferences on building ecumenism among the military clergy, and he also helped arrange the fi rst NATO Naval Chaplain Conference. From 1949 until his retirement in 1960, Goldberg served as district chaplain of the Third Naval District. While serving during the Korean War he was the fi rst Jewish chaplain to attain the rank of captain.

Captain Goldberg died on December 24, 1994 at the age of 98. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on January 6, 1995. Throughout his military career, Captain Goldberg earned a number of awards, including the Legion of Merit, Navy Commendation Ribbon, and Victory Medal. The NMAJMH’s Captain Joshua L. Goldberg Memorial Chapel was dedicated on February 10, 1995.

An American Jewish HeroAn American Jewish Hero

Number 3, Season: Fall

Documents

Transcript of Number 3, Season: Fall