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Volume 73 • Number 3 • 2019 The Jewish Veteran A Jewish Voice for Veterans and a Veteran’s Voice for Jews Congratulations to th incoming Luxembourg Honors Jewish American GI on 75 JWV & JWVA Officers Anniversary of his Death By Deborah Josefson A monument and square named af- ter a Jewish American soldier lies in the town of Petange at the south- west border of the tiny country of Luxembourg, where France and Belgium meet. This soldier was my great-uncle, 2nd Lt. Hyman Josefson. He was the first American soldier to die for the liberation of Luxembourg. For 45 years he was the quintessential Unknown Soldier, but for the people of National Commander Luxembourg, he represented the ulti- Harvey Weiner mate sacrifice of American GIs. The people of Luxembourg com- Procession to Hyman Josefson Square led by Duke Henri (front center) flanked memorate their liberation from the by dignitaries including Petange Mayor Pierre Molina and U.S. Ambassador J. Randolph Evans. Nazis and the sacrifice of Josefson and other American GI’s each year. Every Rockabilly music festivals. Fallsburg, New York in 1909 to Harry five years, the celebrations include Josefson was a first generation and Lena Josefson of Iasi, Romania. visits from the country’s Grand Duke, American and one of 550,000 GI Jews. He entered Cornell University at age the U.S. Ambassador, and other dig- These Jewish American men felt their 15 on an academic scholarship with a nitaries. As they did this September service in World War II was both an perfect score on the state scholarship 9, the officials visit Hyman Josefson act of patriotism and a fight against exam. After graduating in 1929 with Square to lay wreaths in honor of Hitler for the survival of their brethren. a civil engineering degree, Josefson the American troops. The liberation An accomplished lawyer and en- stayed at Cornell for another two years festivities continue with a week of gineer, Josefson was already 32 when to receive his law degree. National President pro-American parades, displays of he voluntarily enlisted just six weeks As a young lawyer, he argued be- Sandra Cantor vintage World War II military vehi- after Pearl Harbor. fore the New York State Supreme Court cles, American-style barbeques and Josefson was born in South Continued on page 16 Book Review: Soviet Jews in World A Ride to Remember War II: Fighting, By Cara Rinkoff Holocaust. The 75-year-old Silverberg Center (JCC) in Krakow. A total of JWV Member Allan Silverberg biked took part in the 5th annual Ride for the 250 cyclists rode their bikes from Witnessing, 60 miles in just one day to honor the Living in Poland on June 28, which is Auschwitz to the Krakow JCC. Remembering memory of those who died in the sponsored by the Jewish Community “We started in the morning and Page 16 then finished in the evening, and that evening was also very eventful. They VA benefits and had about 700 people at a Shabbat din- SS benefits ner,” Silverberg said. According to Page 17 the Krakow JCC, each year the dinner serves as the largest gathering of Jews on Shabbat in the city since before WWI Memorial World War II. Update Silverberg found out about the Page 22 ride from the JCC director, whom he Continued on page 17 CONTENTS D’vrei HaShomrim ...................2 JWV in the Community .......12 Message From the National Ladies Auxiliary ....18 Commander ..............................3 Museum News........................20 On The Hill .................................4 Taps ............................................ 22 Membership Corner ...............6 D'vrei HaShomrim THE JEWISH This article is being written during the month of Elul, the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah. Each VETERAN morning in Elul, at the conclusion of the weekday The Jewish Veteran is the Official Publication of the service, the Shofar is sounded. It is the view of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America Rambam, the great rabbinic sage, that the blast of the Shofar serves us as a wake-up call, reminding National Commander Harvey Weiner us that Rosh Hashanah, also known in the Torah National Editor Ari Tessler Managing Editor Cara Rinkoff as the Day of Judgement, is just around the cor- Graphics/Production Editor Christy Turner ner. This is a time that reaches out to us, calling for EDITORIAL OFFICE self-scrutiny and introspection in preparation for 1811 R Street, NW • Washington, D.C. 20009 what is coming. Just as a marathoner does not run Telephone (202) 265-6280 x413 an event without warming up and stretching, Elul Fax (202) 234-5662 E-mail [email protected] is the time given to us for a spiritual warm-up. Web Site www.jwv.org Those of us who have served in the armed forc- The Jewish Veteran is published 4 times a year: es are well acquainted with the difficulties and chal- Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, by the lenges that came with that service. A key for deal- Jewish War Veterans ing with both routine and extraordinary crises is of the United States of America the quality of our resilience and our ability to cope 1811 R Street, NW and rebound. Those who take their religious faith Rabbi Sandy Dresin, Chaplain (COL) USA, Ret Washington, DC 20009 seriously are endowed with “Spiritual Resilience.” Director of Military Programs, The Aleph Institute Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC, and at additional mailing offices. As a Vietnam veteran, my Jewish faith helped me tifying inappropriate behavior, regretting it, aban- Postmaster: Send form 3579 to Jewish War Veterans, cope and overcome the often traumatic episodes I doning it, and then requesting forgiveness from 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. encountered in combat as well as in daily life. The Almighty. Subscription price in the United States is $5.00 per year, The process of developing spiritual resilience Elul is the month that comes with the opportu- included in membership. Nonmember subscriptions: goes hand in hand with introspection and self-scru- nity to seek out and identify the special and unique $10.00. Single copies: $2.50. tiny. The military provides us with a model in the role for which we were created. As the Talmud Photos and articles submitted to The Jewish Veteran shall be used at the discretion of the organization. The form of tactics in the short-term and strategy for Sanhedrin teaches, every person must recognize opinions expressed in signed articles and letters in this the long-term. The process consists of asking our- that ‘the world was created for me, not to exploit magazine are not necessarily those of JWV. selves a few challenging questions such as: where it - but rather to provide the opportunity to make Advertising information and rates available from the am I now on life’s continuum, where do I want to a contribution to the betterment of society and the Editorial Office. JWV assumes no responsibility for be, and how do I plan to get there. This process human condition. Should we fail, the world will be products and services advertised in this publication. © 2019 by the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. must be undertaken in small and thoughtful bites. bereft of that unique offering only we are capable NPA#112285 • ISSN 047-2019. If my ultimate goal is too ambitious, it will only of contributing. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. lead to frustration; if not ambitious enough, it will May you and all those you hold dear be in- lead to complacency. This undertaking fits into an- scribed for the coming year in The Book of Life other theme of the month of Elul, that of Teshuva for a happy, healthy, prosperous, and meaningful or repentance. Teshuva is a four step process: iden- New Year. Display your JWV Membership Proudly! The JWV supply store isn't just for pins and poppies! You can also purchase JWV branded badges, caps and jackets! Shopping on Amazon via Post Banners Shirts, caps, Amazon Smile helps the JWV. and Flags! and jackets! Amazon will donate 0.5 % of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile Visit the online store at the JWV website or contact Pat Ennis at 703-753-3733 or by email: [email protected] purchase to the JWV Foundation. 2 The Jewish Veteran Volume 73 • Number 3 • 2019 www.jwv.org MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER National Commander Harvey Weiner Each new National Commander usually has a vi- In a magazine article written in the 1890s, tion. It is my sion of what he or she wants to accomplish during Mark Twain said that American Jews do not serve goal as National their one year in that position. The JWV is a non- their country in the armed forces. He was wrong. Commander to profit 501(c)(4) organization, which is governed Jewish-Americans have served in all of America’s keep the organi- by statute and by its constitution and bylaws. It wars. Through the Vietnam War, they served in zation unified at is a chartered corporation. It is not a military unit numbers greater than their proportion in the gen- all levels. My in- where whatever the Commander says or does is law eral population. defatigable pre- and must be followed. Within its legal framework, I also hope to increase unity within the JWV. decessor visited JWV National is run by the National Executive The old joke is two Jews, three synagogues. Within numerous posts, Committee, a Coordinating Committee, and its the JWV, the joke might be two Jewish veterans, councils, and departments in his effort to solidify Executive Director, but the National Commander three JWV posts.