Dr. Bertram Korn of Philadelphia, a noted Jewish historian, declared here today that the Civil War was “one of the crucial experiences in the development of American Jewish life.” He said that when the war began about two-thirds of the Nation’s 160,000 Jews were immigrants of the previous decade. “Barely come to these shores, hardly adjusted to the new life, they were rapidly Americanized in the pressure-cooker of the fratricidal conflict,” Dr. Korn stated. He addressed the opening here of a B’nai B’rith exhibit, “American Jewry and the Civil War.”
The exhibit, containing several hundred rare items, depicts the outstanding Jewish soldiers and statesmen who played historic roles in the struggle and Jewish leaders who had close relationships with Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Lee and Grant. Participating in the opening ceremonies, attended by 350 persons, were Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas, a member of the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
