The years between 1861 and 1865 are well known as formative years for the American people. What many do not know about the Civil War, however, is that these years were specifically formative as well for American Jews. Jewish history, American history, and the intersection of the two are topics explored in the recently opened Yeshiva University Museum exhibition entitled “Passages Through the Fire: Jews and the Civil War.”
The show opened on March 10th, in collaboration with the American Jewish Historical Society and curator Ken Yellis; it contains the most comprehensive collection of Jewish Civil War materials that have been assembled in 50 years. As this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, it is a most appropriate time to delve into this piece of our history. “Passages Through the Fire” does an excellent job of uncovering and displaying fascinating stories of the Jewish role in this national conflict.
The exhibit begins with a map of the Jewish population, illustrating that there were larger cities of recently immigrated Jews in the Northern part of the U.S., but there were a number of Southern communities as well. Highlighted next is the struggle of Jews at the time to grapple with the issue of slavery. Only recently having passed Pesach, where we celebrated our own freedom from the shackles of slavery in Egypt, the Jewish perspective might seem obvious (but it definitely is not!). “Passages Through the Fire” does not shy away from dealing with this question of slavery during the Civil War time period. Just like the rest of the country, Jews were divided on the issue and usually held the same sentiments as their fellow Northern or Southern neighbors. There were strong Jewish voices on both sides. Documents on the walls show that one prominent Rabbi who declared that there was no sin in slavery, a statement which was then combated by Abolitionist Jews.
Moving past this difficult issue, the displays turn to a portrait of military life. There are a plethora of photographs, medals, and honor certificates attesting to the powerful positions many Jews rose up to. We meet Issachar Zacharie, President Lincoln’s podiatrist who became a trusted confidante and spy for the President. There is also Phoebe Yates Pember, one of the first female hospital administrators and nurses, and Judah P. Benjamin who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War for the Confederate States. Glass cases run along the center of the room, containing weapons, dog tags, and other military paraphernalia.
In conjunction with the exhibit that will be on display until August 11th, the Yeshiva University Museum will be hosting a series of programs that add to the picture of Civil War life. These will include programs about Jewish women in the Civil War, famous Jews who fought at Gettysburg, and a curator’s tour highlighting specific objects in the exhibit.
Any good Civil War exhibit would not be complete without mentioning President Abraham Lincoln, and this one is no exception. Already known as a national hero, President Lincoln also played a little-known role as hero for the Jews when he combated two acts of anti-Semitism. He reversed an order from General Ulysses S. Grant, which expelled the Jews from his large military territory, and overturned the ruling that only Christians could serve as military chaplains, allowing for Rabbi Jacob Frankel to serve as the first Jewish chaplain.
Despite these two examples, “Passages Through the Fire” largely paints a positive picture of life for Jews during and after the civil war. No doubt there were casualties on both the Union and Confederate sides, but as a whole the Jews landed on the other side of the Civil War on two feet. They found themselves in a stronger economic, social, and political place than before. For many newly immigrated Jews, the war hastened their inclusion into American society by allowing them to serve as soldiers, doctors, and manufacturers alongside everyone else contributing to the war effort. They proved their patriotism and proved that they were needed, carving out a space amongst fellow Americans. For any history buff, the exhibit proves to be an interesting new twist on an old story, and provides some very human examples of what it was like to be a Jew (and specifically a successful Jew) during one of our nation’s most trying times.