GI Jews: How World War II Changed a Generation

by Moore

Whether they came from Sioux Falls or the Bronx, over half a million Jews entered the U.S. armed forces during the Second World War. Uprooted from their working- and middle-class neighborhoods, they joined every branch of the military and saw action on all fronts. Deborah Dash Moore offers an unprecedented view of the struggles these GI Jews faced, having to battle not only the enemy but also the prejudices of their fellow soldiers.

Through memoirs, oral histories, and letters, Moore charts the lives of fifteen young Jewish men as they faced military service and tried to make sense of its demands. From confronting pork chops to enduring front-line combat, from the temporary solace of Jewish worship to harrowing encounters with death camp survivors, we come to understand how these soldiers wrestled with what it meant to be an American and a Jew.

Moore shows how military service in World War II transformed this generation of Jews, reshaping Jewish life in America and abroad. These men challenged perceptions of Jews as simply victims of the war, and encouraged Jews throughout the diaspora to fight for what was right. At the same time, service strengthened Jews' identification with American democratic ideals, even as it confirmed the importance of their Jewish identity. GI Jews is a powerful, intimate portrayal of the costs of a conflict that was at once physical, emotional, and spiritual, as well as its profound consequences for these hitherto overlooked members of the "greatest generation."

Genres: History, Jewish, Nonfiction, Holocaust, World War II, Military Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a burning Shattered German town, an SS Officer surrendered his soldiers - while giving an impassioned speech that Soon enough The Americans would Join them in fighting the "Jewish Bolsheviks". The American Commander countered by Announcing the Cathedral would be hosting a Jewish Shabbat Service. The Germans snorted a laugh- then stood in shocked silence when every soldier but their guards filed in to the church. The few Jews among them were shocked too- but appreciated the solidarity. When the war had begun, Jews were a tiny minority in a very anti-semitic United States- when it ended- the "Judeo-Christian Tradition" had arrived, and Jews were just another ethnic adding their strength to the American Melting Pot- their place bought with their blood and sweat. A generation of Jews had gone to war as Jews- and come back as American Jews. My father was one- so this book really struck a chord.

This is not a straight history- rather it is an appreciation borne of memoirs and oral histories trying to place the Jewish American WWII Experience within the greater American War. Some may be shocked by the prevalence of anti-semitism in interwar America shown in the book, but Jewish readers will not. Author Deborah Dash Moore, herself the child of one such vet, shows how Jewish Americans came from all parts of the US- finding solidarity, non-kosher food, Bureaucracy, weapons, and both friendly and racist other Americans, thankfully usually more of the friendly. The three channels of Jewish practice in the US, -Orthodox,Conservative and Reform were really codified in this period- if only to help the gentile Federal Government understand Judaism. By the end of the War- Jews had been accepted into the American Polity- marked by stories like the "Four Chaplains of the Dorchester" where Jewish, Catholic and Protestant Chaplains heroically cooperated to save soldier during a tragic Ship sinking. Many stories, both large and small make up this tapestry-its an interesting ethnic perspective on the War.

This book is full of adult themes - but little frank discussions of wounds, so probably fine for the Junior reader in the 12-14 range- with an interest in American ethnics. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast- not that great. This is a Sociological and Ethnographic history, not really focused on the sharp end. There are a few stories that might improve Scenarios and Dioramas- but this is really about the Jewish soldier's reaction to the war- and finding their place in the postwar world. For students of the larger period- there is a lot of content to digest. It's enormously compelling stuff, especially to the son of a Jewish WWII Vet.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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


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


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


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


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

[Pancha · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to Moore, the idea of a Judeo-Christian tradition came about directly from the effort to integrate the Catholic, Jewish, and various Protestant soldiers during WWII. These days, it feels like that concept has always existed, but it interesting to see just how recent an invention it is.

Overall, the information in the book was interesting, but the organization seemed weak to me.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

By way of disclosure, I am of the last of the Post WW II boomer babies, Jewish and a former member of America’s Military (USN). In fact, every male member of my father’s generation and mine served in uniform. Almost all as volunteers, none that I know of as certainly draftees. In approaching GI Jews: How World War II Changed a Generation by
Deborah Dash Moore, I am deliberately looking through the lense of my experience in uniform and more recent experience with a variety of very worthy American Vets.

GI Jews: How World War II Changed a Generation is a classic case of a story much more important that the writing. In this case I suspect that the writing could have been much better if the editor had been more assertive. Too often in the beginning of the book, but too present throughout is the reuse of expressions, often entire sentences word for word as written a few paragraphs before. Good editing would have helped the author to clean up these distractions making it a much read. A second problem is that Ms Moore depended on a very small number of mostly New York City Jews, who had also survived 55-60 years after the war. I cannot fault the author for her over dependance on this tiny sample of convenience, but this would have been a better book if written 30 years ago and based on a broader selection of American Jews. A particular example that bothers me was the selection of the soldier used on the cover of my edition. This is a picture of one of her interviewees, perhaps a real wartime case of the “1000 yard stare” common among soldiers in modern combat. The glasses tended to make him look like a bewhiskered version of a Woody Allen Jew. If the book is to reply to caricature, it should not adopt as is cover image a version of that same caricature. Covers are rarely the choice of the author, but something better could have been chosen.

Frequently I was not sure who was the intended audience. Much of the book is very personal and difficult for a non Jewish reader to understand. There is the visceral level of the effort these or any Jewish American Soldier experiences navigating the need to be part of a team and the knowledge that as a Jew your life and the expectations of you are that you are not ‘like’ them. Your survival within the military means that you must make the adaptations, and make them automatic. It may be possible to understand the physical revulsion a Kosher Jew felt at having to eat ham. I had to use the quoted poem about “Eating ham for Uncle Sam” as a simple way to navigate the problem of going along and being a member of the military team versus explaining the details of what is kosher, and what was the degree of observance prevalent in my family, with a side bar on the 3 pack version of Jewish belief/practice condensed from the many shades and variation that exist.

What was interesting to me was that for reasons of their own, the US government, and the American Jewish community agreed to the notion of Judaism as having three variations. Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Further, this agreement was made under the pressure of integrating Jews into the military of WW II. That this was part of a larger process that helped to invent the notion of America as being bed rocked in a Judaeo-Christian ethics and tradition. Wiki tells me that the term originated in 1941 at the hands of British writer George Orwell. Yeah that one.

Part of what makes this book a must read for the broadest possible audience is its admission that Antisemitism was not a Nazi, or even a German invention. It was and remains a real threat, as in threat to life and liberty in America and more so in too much of Europe. In this light it is unfortunate that so many of Ms. Moore’s Jewish vets were self-identified as being socialists. The revulsion and shock they experienced upon expiring the German holocaust was what it was. Where are these same speakers when they learned of the horrendous murderous excesses of Stalin? The murder camps of Hitler must have strengthened their hatred of extreme right-wing politics, but should we not also know if they felt that alignment with Russian Communism was also bad.

For all my concerns, this is a book about something important. Yes, it could and should have been better. This was and is something Jewish members of the military will understand and with which they will readily relate. To this day, Americans, and others reject the notion of front-line service by Jews in the military. In virtually every military unit every Jewish member will undergo both an internal set of adjustments and an external proof of worth. Since the ‘Six Day ‘War in 1967, most people have reason to respect the notion of Jews as effective warriors, but, there is always a but.

[Simon Purdue · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Deborah Dash Moore attempts to use biographical accounts of around a dozen Jewish New Yorkers to illustrate the seismic shift in identity and belonging that Jewish Americans experienced during the Second World War. Moore argues that prior to the war Jews were seen as outside of the state in many cases, often caricatured as untrustworthy and unpatriotic. However their involvement on the front lines in WWII dramatically shifted their identity from within and the nation’s perception of American Jews. Moore argues that the war thus acted as the key catalyst for the creation of the ‘inclusive’ ‘Judeo-Christian’ society ideal that is so pervasive in American society and discourse today. Moore challenges the assumption that this order goes back further than WWII, arguing that prior to the war Jews still held a marginal position within society. For those who went to fight on the front line, their identity also shifted. Jewish men had once identified in primarily local terms, either as ‘New Yorkers’ or as citizens of Brooklyn or the Bronx more specifically. However their inclusion in the fighting forces of WWII shifted the boundaries of their self-identification, and as they bought into the national project they soon came to identify as ‘Jewish American’ or even simply American. Moore attributes much of this to the removal of these men from their previously cloistered urban communities and their exposure to the broader American experience, both through training and camaraderie on the front lines. The war then often acted as a force for social inclusion and the creation of a new Americanism for some populations, as outlined by Sparrow and Takaki. However that is not to say that it was a wholly positive experience for Jewish soldiers in the major theatres of the war. Rampant anti-Semitism, a far from Kosher military rationing program and a culture of bullying and discrimination made the experience of war extremely difficult for many of the Jewish GIs. They, like the African American soldiers outlined in Takaki’s book, were fighting a war on two fronts.

[Ben Vos · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a collection of snippets of interviews. There is informed and perceptive opinion here on the effect of military service on the men, from a variety of Jewish backgrounds, and their understanding of themselves as Jews and as Americans.

Most interesting to me was the chapter on chaplains, and the invention of 'Judeo-Christian' heritage as a sort of glue for mid-century USA. Was this why American Jews loved America so much? It seems finished now, but the afterglow had dignity.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and engaging look at the experiences of a group of young American Jewish boys from Brooklyn ( they called themselves The Dragons) who all enlisted or were drafted at the onset of WWII.

The book follows them chapter by chapter from boot camp "Eating Ham For Uncle Sam" and encountering antisemitism, different cultures, the rural south and a military trying to incorporate a new American ideal called "The Judeo-Christian" ethic.

The author's dad was one of those boys and the father of another kept all of them connected with a newsletter he typed up and mailed to each of them using information from each of their letters. Because he did this throughout the war, they remained in touch and their stories are preserved.

Their experiences coming to terms with and understanding their own Judaism in an alien environment, their skirmishes with fellow soldiers and commanding officers, their awkward encounters with local civilians both in the US and abroad, their growing terror and rage over what was happening to their Jewish brethren in Europe and their attempts to explain themselves and celebrate their holidays and customs in places like jungles or destroyed synagogues are the real meat of the story.

The final chapters involving the liberation of the death camps are heartbreaking and it is interesting to see their widely different responses to what they saw there.

I understand that a PBS documentary was made based on this book and just recently tracked down a used copy. I am looking forward to hearing their voices and getting to know each one that much better.

[Lee Mandel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on the experiences of 15 young Jewish men serving in the military during World War II. It traces their evolution from living in isolated Jewish enclaves in areas such as Brooklyn and the Bronx, though their entry into the military and their service in Europe and the Pacific. Often initially treated as curiousities, they had to frequently overcome anti-Semitic prejudices, and at times they would have to wonder why they were dealing with 'enemies' wearing US military uniforms. Ultimately, these young men, like virtually all members of the Greatest Generation, proved themselves in the most horrific conflict the world has ever known. This was my father's era (he was a WWII veteran), and I am indebted to all of these men for their service under much more difficult circumstances than I have had to deal with in my nearly three decades in the United States Navy. I am indebted to these men, whose story is excellently told in this well-researched and well-written book.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize I was so ignorant about antisemitism until I had finished this book.
Yes I know plenty about World War II, but the external and internal conflicts of the Jewish solider had never been conveyed to me as a terribly important part of the story.
Though the book relies heavily on oral retellings and Moore goes as far as to interview her own father (showing a huge bias and thus making her seem less scholarly to me), the book does achieve a frank realism that had been missing from my knowledge of the war before.
All in all the book was okay. I was distracted by the thought that the mind does exaggerate and change things as time passes (and the book was published in 2004), so all of these first hand stories could be a little, or severely, skewed,but the woman does try. And for that I thank her.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fast read. However, it is a bit fragmented as it tends to follow a group of Brooklyn Jews. Various anecdotes are told of their Jewish lives in the military. There is very little attempt to put those stories into the tapestry of the whole WWII campaign. The over arching theme is how the military service turned these Jews into Zionists. I have no doubt there is more substance to the stories of each of these individuals but it was missing from the book.

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fascinating look into the life of Jewish soldiers during World War II. Moore recounts the stories of soldiers who were forced to eat pork, liberated concentration camps, and many other harrowing and life-changing experiences.

This is a highly recommended must-read for anyone interested in Jewish studies, Holocaust studies, and/or World War II studies.