Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Reich Federation of Jewish Front-Line Soldiers (german: Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten, RJF) was an organization of
Diaspora and Jewish Self-Understanding (in German)
''Der RJF sieht die Grundlage seiner Arbeit in einem restlosen Bekenntnis zur deutschen Heimat. Er hat kein Ziel und kein Streben außerhalb dieser deutschen Heimat und wendet sich aufs schärfste gegen jede Bestrebung, die uns deutsche Juden zu dieser deutschen Heimat in eine Fremdstellung bringen will.''
English notes on ''Heroische Gestalten Jüdischen Stammes'' (Erwin Löwe, Berlin 1937)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reichsbund judischer Frontsoldaten Jewish political organizations Jewish anti-Zionism in Germany Jewish anti-Zionist organizations Jewish German history Opposition to antisemitism in Germany Organizations established in 1919 Organizations disestablished in 1938 1919 establishments in Germany 1938 disestablishments in Germany German veterans' organisations Jewish Nazi German history Jewish organisations based in Germany
The Reich Federation of Jewish Front-Line Soldiers (german: Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten, RJF) was an organization of German-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...
soldiers founded in February 1919 by Leo Löwenstein in the aftermath of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
to demonstrate Jewish loyalty to the former German Empire and German nationalism
German nationalism () is an ideological notion that promotes the unity of Germans and German-speakers into one unified nation state. German nationalism also emphasizes and takes pride in the patriotism and national identity of Germans as one n ...
.
History
The goal of Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten was to stop the spread ofantisemitism
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 ...
based on the argument that Jews were disloyal to the countries they lived in. In 1918, German antisemites claimed that the Jews had stabbed Germany in the back (''Dolchstosslegende'').
The Reichsbund emphasized that 85,000 Jewish soldiers had fought for the German Empire in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and 12,000 had died, which placed their loyalty to Germany beyond any reasonable doubt. Jews had received 30,000 medals and awards during the war. At its high point the Reichsbund had 55,000 members.
The Reichsbund regarded the German Reich
German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...
as the mother country of all German Jews. Its activities were outlawed by the Nazi government in 1936, and in 1938 it was dissolved.
The group stated: "The RJF sees the basis of its work as complete allegiance to the German homeland. It does not have any goal or desire outside of this German homeland, and sharply rejects any movement which wishes to bring us German Jews to a position of outsiders in relation to this German homeland."''Der RJF sieht die Grundlage seiner Arbeit in einem restlosen Bekenntnis zur deutschen Heimat. Er hat kein Ziel und kein Streben außerhalb dieser deutschen Heimat und wendet sich aufs schärfste gegen jede Bestrebung, die uns deutsche Juden zu dieser deutschen Heimat in eine Fremdstellung bringen will.''
References
Further reading
*Ulrich Dunker: ''Der Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten 1919 -1938. Geschichte eines jüdischen Abwehrvereins''. Droste, Düsseldorf 1977 *Hans-Christian Kokalj: ''"Kampf um die Erinnerung". Jüdische Frontkämpfer des Ersten Weltkriegs und ihr Widerstand gegen die rechtspopulistische Propaganda in der Weimarer Republik.'', in: Tobias Arand (Hg.), Die "Urkatastrophe" als Erinnerung. Geschichtskultur des Ersten Weltkriegs, Münster 2006, S. 81-98English notes on ''Heroische Gestalten Jüdischen Stammes'' (Erwin Löwe, Berlin 1937)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reichsbund judischer Frontsoldaten Jewish political organizations Jewish anti-Zionism in Germany Jewish anti-Zionist organizations Jewish German history Opposition to antisemitism in Germany Organizations established in 1919 Organizations disestablished in 1938 1919 establishments in Germany 1938 disestablishments in Germany German veterans' organisations Jewish Nazi German history Jewish organisations based in Germany