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- Title
Removing the Stain: a Jewish Volunteer's Perspective in World War Two.
- Authors
Usher, Peter J.
- Abstract
Military service, seen as the ultimate test of citizenship, was a challenge to minority groups in Canada in World War II, not least to Jews. One response to this challenge is illustrated by the letters and diaries of Joe Jacobson of Montreal, who enlisted in the air force in 1940. Believing that the stain of antisemitism could be combated by personal action, he regarded service at the sharp end of battle not simply as an opportunity to remove that stain, but also as a necessity for Jewish honour and survival. Over the course of his air force training in Canada, and his combat service overseas, he became highly critical of Jews he regarded as letting down the side by failing to act with the same commitment. Jacobson's experience is assessed in the context of Canadian Jewish opinion and action at the time.
- Subjects
JACOBSON, Joe; CANADIAN Jews; JEWISH military personnel
- Publication
Canadian Jewish Studies / Études Juives Canadiennes, 2015, Vol 23, Issue 1, p37
- ISSN
1198-3493
- Publication type
Article