What I learned about Jews in the Civil War
On Monday March 24 we were treated to an excellent presentation by Stan Weinstein (who has already given a number of fine talks not only to this Forum but to other Civil War groups in the region). Here are items I learned:
the Jewish population in the US in 1860 was around 150 thousand people, most of whom (125K) lived in the North. Most of the immigrants arriving in the US were either Irish or Germans, and those from Germany included many Jewish immigrants (who mostly went to the North).
Rabbis can be found on both sides of the slavery question in US debates before the war. One rabbi from Baltimore got tarred and feathered after denouncing slavery. A rabbi from New York (who eventually became the first Jew to address US Congress) supported slavery using the Bible for his defense.
A pivotal moment in Jewish history during the Civil War was associated with US Grant and his “General Order 11” (expelling all Jews in the territory under Grant’s control in Tennessee to be expelled). A rabbi in Kentucky then protested to the White House and protested the Order to Lincoln, who ordered Grant to revoke the Order. Grant did so and apologized publicly to the Jewish community thereafter (and took a number of measures as President supporting Jews in the government).
Another famous individual in this story is the Louisiana politician, Judah Benjamin (who served in three Cabinet positions in Jeff Davis’ government). Benjamin after the war fled to Britain where he became a barrister, and then wound up in France where he was buried.
Stan cited a variety of Jewish historical landmarks including the Jewish cemetery in Richmond and the first seder celebrated in West Virginia in 1862. Seven Jewish soldiers from the North were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor
Stan’s theme through the talk: “when we are discriminated against, we fight back, not with violence but with reason and perseverance.”
