Mendelsohn, Adam D.

OUR SYNOPSIS: Adam D. Mendelsohn tells the stories of Jewish American soldiers who fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. He illuminates “the arc of their experience in the Union army from mustering in, to life in camp and in the field, reenlistment, demobilization, and return home, as well as how they—and the Jewish community—recalled the conflict after 1865.” (16) Since Jewish soldiers were not a visible minority, their roles in the conflict were not necessarily identified or conceived as Jewish contributions. Additionally, Jewish identity was one consideration in a complex blend of identities and situational factors. He identifies three key distinguishing factors that shaped Jewish Union Army experiences: “settlement patterns (the places they lived), geographic origins (the places they came from), and occupational profile (the economic roles they filled.” (50) Four of each five Jewish soldiers were foreign born and on average they were in their early twenties. Like other Americans, they made pragmatic decisions to serve or not to serve in the war. While jobs and business responsibilities kept some from joining the Army, others were attracted by economic opportunities presented by Union service. He argues that the geographical dispersion of Jews in the U.S. was demonstrated by the lack of substantially Jewish regiments. Rather than serving together, Jewish Americans served with their geographic communities. This meant they often lacked Jewish colleagues for mutual support when facing prejudice. The discrimination they faced is exemplified by Major-General Ulysses S. Grant’s 1862 order expelling Jewish people from his district. One way that Jewish soldiers maintained their identities was by carving out space for religious observance. In the decades after the war, Jewish discussion of its events was relatively muted due to trauma and uncertain reception. It did not become a notable part of Jewish public memory until the 1890s.