GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II

GIJews:JewishAmericansinWorldWarIIkeyartwork.CourtesyofTurquoiseFilms/PBS. GIJews:JewishAmericansinWorldWarIIspotlightsthelittle-knownstoryofthe550,000JewishAmericanswhoservedtheUnitedStates.ItwasratherappropriatethatthedocumentaryreceiveditsbroadcastpremiereonYomHaShoahin2018. ForJewishAmericans,thiswasn’tjustafightagainstthefascists.Itwasafighttosavetheirbrethren,theJewsofEurope.Afterall,the1935NuremberglawshadstrippedJewsoftheircitizenship.TherewereplentyofrumorsspreadingintheJewishcommunityaboutthestateofaffairsinEuropeandthingswereonlygettingworse.AsGIJewslaternotes,newsoftheFinalSolutionbecamepublicin1942.Formanyofthe550,000Jewswhoenlisted,anumberofthemstillhadfamilylivinginEuropeinthe1930s.Aspogromsworsened,manyJewsstartedfleeingEuropebutAmericamoreorlessbeganclosingitsdoorsinthe1920s. HalfofAmerica’s4millionJewslivedinNewYorkCityduringthe1930s.AnumberofJewishAmericansservinginWorldWarIIwereeitherimmigrantsorthechildrenofimmigrants.An