The National Museum of American Jewish Military History (NMAJMH) was founded September 2, 1958, in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, to document and preserve "the contributions of
Jewish Americans
American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora Je ...
to the peace and freedom of the United States...
nd to educatethe public concerning the courage, heroism and sacrifices made by Jewish Americans who served in the
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
."
It operates under the auspices of the
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (also referred to as the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., the Jewish War Veterans, or JWV) is an American Jewish veterans' organization created in 1896 by American Civil War veterans to rais ...
(JWV), National Memorial, Inc. (NMI), and is located at 1811 R Street NW,
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, in the
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle (or DuPont Circle) is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th Street NW to the east, 22nd Street NW ...
area, in the same building that houses the JWV National Headquarters.
It is a member institution of the
Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium, established in 1983 to promote the "off the
Mall
Mall commonly refers to a:
* Shopping mall
* Strip mall
* Pedestrian street
* Esplanade
Mall or MALL may also refer to:
Places Shopping complexes
* The Mall (Sofia) (Tsarigradsko Mall), Sofia, Bulgaria
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...
" museums and their neighborhoods in the greater Dupont-
Kalorama area of Washington, DC.
Description
The Museum includes two floors of permanent and special exhibitions, in addition to sponsoring a number of traveling displays that are temporarily displayed in other institutions throughout the United States. In addition to exhibitions, the Museum features the Captain
Joshua L. Goldberg Memorial Chapel and the Study Center that serves as site for the museum lecture series and other special programs. The Museum's Honorial Wall and Tree of Honor are memorials recognizing individuals and organizations that contribute to the goals of the NMAJMH.
In addition to the Museum's exhibits and memorials, the NMAJMH's archives serve as a resource for individuals who want to do further research on any topic related to American Jewish military history. The archival collection contains substantial materials on Jewish service in the American military, including original photographs, letters, diaries, military records, and manuscripts. The archives also contain materials relating to the history of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.
History
Jewish War Veterans
The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (also referred to as the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., the Jewish War Veterans, or JWV) is an American Jewish veterans' organization created in 1896 by American Civil War veterans to rai ...
National Commander Paul Ginsberg urged JWV leaders gathered at the October 1951 National Executive Committee meeting to move JWV's headquarters from New York to Washington, DC, and suggested the new headquarters building include a shrine or memorial to Jewish American veterans. The memorial was envisioned as a repository for records and memorabilia relating to Jewish service in the American military, in addition to being a living memorial to the
patriotism
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...
of American Jews. In 1954 the Jewish War Veterans purchased a building at 1712 New Hampshire Ave NW in Washington, DC. Along with moving their headquarters to this building the JWV also established the National Shrine to the Jewish War Dead.
On 2 September 1958, following the granting of a congressional charter, the Shrine became known as the Jewish War Veterans of the USA National Memorial, Inc. The Museum's charter is registered as Public Law 85-3, HR 109. The Museum and JWV relocated a final time in 1983, following the purchase of a building at 1811 R Street NW. The building was officially dedicated in 1984 by then Vice President
George H.W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; p ...
.
Combating
anti-Semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
, particularly charges that Jews are somehow less patriotic than other Americans, continues to be a goal of both the JWV and the NMAJMH. The Museum – through its exhibitions, archives, and programs – documents of the long history of honorable and distinguished service of Jews in the American military from the
Revolutionary War to the present.
Exhibitions
The core exhibit, known as Jews in the American Military,
covers the span of Jewish service in the American military - from the colonial era to the present. Permanent exhibitions include ''The Hall of Heroes: American Jewish Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor'', and ''Major General
Julius Klein: His Life and Work''. Past and present special exhibitions have included such subjects as:
*''Jewish War Veterans' Protest March Against Nazi Germany - 75th Anniversary''
*''Hidden Treasures: Selections from Our Permanent Collection''
*''Rescue & Renewal: GIs and Displaced Persons''
*''Women in the Military: A Jewish Perspective''
*''A Mother's Grief''
*''An American, A Sailor and A Jew: The Life and Career of Commodore
Uriah Phillips Levy, USN (1792–1862)''
*''
Gold Star Mothers, Wives and Sisters''
*''Jewish Americans in Military Service During Vietnam''
Traveling exhibits have included:
*''GIs Remember: Liberating the Concentration Camps''
*''Candid Moments in the Military''
*''Salute to Jewish Military Chaplains''
See also
*
Jewish American military history
*
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (also referred to as the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., the Jewish War Veterans, or JWV) is an American Jewish veterans' organization created in 1896 by American Civil War veterans to rais ...
*
Naval Academy Jewish Chapel
Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel is the Jewish chapel at the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland.
The center is named in honor of Commodore Uriah P. Levy (1792–-1862), the first Jewish commodore in the United ...
*
Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum
The Capital Jewish Museum, officially the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, is a historical society and its planned museum in Washington, D.C., focused on the history of Jewish life in the American capital city and the surrounding Wash ...
*
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
*
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hi ...
*
Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center
The Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C. (formerly the Washington DCJCC) is a Jewish Community Center located in the historic district of Dupont Circle. It serves the Washington, D.C. area through religious, cultural, educational, ...
Footnotes
External links
NMAJMH WebsiteMap of area around NMAJMH.Website for the Jewish War Veterans of the United States.Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium Home Page.
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Museum Of American Jewish Military History
1958 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Dupont Circle
Ethnic museums in Washington, D.C.
History museums in Washington, D.C.
Jewish-American history
Jewish-American military history
Jewish history organizations
Jewish museums in the United States
Jews and Judaism in Washington, D.C.
Military historiography
Military and war museums in Washington, D.C.
Museums established in 1958
Religion in the United States military
Jewish Military History
Jewish military history focuses on the military aspect of history of the Jewish people from ancient times until the modern age.
Ancient Israelites
While complete details in the Biblical account of a system of fighting forms are not extant, th ...
Jewish Military History
Jewish military history focuses on the military aspect of history of the Jewish people from ancient times until the modern age.
Ancient Israelites
While complete details in the Biblical account of a system of fighting forms are not extant, th ...