Thoughts, Prayers, and History on Veterans Day 2024

by Nina Fondiller Woldin

Today is Veterans Day, a time for veterans to reflect on their service and a time for those of us who were not in the military to thank them for protecting us. 

We may be more focused right now on the war being fought by our brave cousins in Israel, but this is also a time to note that Jewish people have served in the United States military since the beginning of our country.

I grew up at Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, which was founded in 1654 – the first Jewish congregation to be established in North America. Every year the congregation hosts a ceremony at the synagogue’s original cemetery downtown to honor the more than 20 members who  fought in the Revolutionary War. 

Jewish people have served in the military throughout the history of the United States.

This prayer by Rabbi Dr. Laurence Milder says, in part:

Compassionate God, Source of Mercy, we pay tribute to those who have served our country, and express our gratitude for their courage and selflessness,
both those among us today and those of generations past.
This nation, built by those born of this soil and those who have come here from all the corners of the earth,
is on a continual journey toward its destiny.

May we never let down those who have served in defense of this country.

May we uphold the values of freedom, of the inherent dignity of every human being, by our own right conduct, by the kindness and tolerance we show to one another.

The words of this prayer are more important than ever during these contentious times.

Jewish people have dealt with our precarious position – sometimes accepted and sometimes not – as we endeavored to make America our home. To understand the broad experiences of Jewish struggle in the United States, one must also fully understand the begrudging acceptance Jews have experienced from the moment 23 Sephardic refugees arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, to the present day challenges faced by the Jewish community. For a meaningful exploration of this topic, dive into Chai Mitzvah’s BECAUSE WE WERE SLAVES: The Jewish Struggle for Justice in Making America Home.

Start your own group, or join the virtual Chai Mitzvah group – dates and times to be announced soon.