Subject Guide – Military & Veterans

Jewish Americans have served in all military branches and in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved. Experiences of military service, from soldiers on the front lines to those confronting wartime conditions at home, have continuously shaped the lives of Jewish Americans. The challenges they have faced and sacrifices they have made demonstrate a sense of national identity and civic duty. JHC collections include personal papers from soldiers dating as far back as the American Civil War, as well as organizational records from local branches of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America. Especially strong are photograph collections from those serving in the military during the first and second world wars, providing intimate firsthand glimpses of daily life during wartime. 

For all collections in the JHC Archives related to this subject, click on the link below:

National Museum of American Jewish Military History
National Jewish Welfare Board Bureau of War Records - American Jewish Historical Society
Collection of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America - American Jewish Historical Society
"Men of Mordechai: Jewish Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces" - the National Archives
The Shapell Roster: Jewish Service in the American Civil War - Shapell Manuscript Foundation