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WHEREAS, According to the Jewish War Veterans of America, more than one million Jews served in the American armed services since World War I, 250,000 soldiers in World War I, 600,000 in World War II and 150,000, another 150,000 in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War and are still serving in Afghanistan and Iraq; and
WHEREAS, In Jewish history, at no other time has there been a similar concentration of Jews in military service in one country of such large significance, 10 percent of World War II and Korean commissioned officers were Jews, 65 percent were noncommissioned officers, also one of three physicians and dentists in uniform were Jewish; and
WHEREAS, Both the military and the Jewish Welfare Board make sure Jewish Soldiers have prayer books, traditional Jewish food and Sabbath prayer services; and
WHEREAS, Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill, a Reform Temple of almost 900 family units includes 50 Jewish War Veterans within its membership; and
WHEREAS, Temple Sinai's Jewish War Veterans hail from all military conflicts and every branch of the service from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, These Temple Sinai Veterans served in the infantry, flew combat missions, were tank commanders, communications officers, fought and were injured at Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Bulge, guarded President Franklin Roosevelt, worked with war correspondents and chaplains, cared for orphans in Germany, participated in the Pacific and European theaters, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, were doctors and nurses serving in clinics and field hospitals, one heard penicillin was needed and appropriated some to keep allied civilians from dying, one participated in the very first strictly Kosher Passover Seder in Seoul, South Korea and some saw Concentration Camps just following the war; and
WHEREAS, Many used the GI Bill to further their education after military life becoming physicians, engineers and more; and
WHEREAS, One Temple member was born in...
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