New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
The Soldier Jew

TT is foregone conclusion that the
L Jews as law-abiding citizens fur
nished their proportionate quota on Reg
istration Day; neither does it suffer
the slightest doubt that as good patriots
end, in gratitude for having found here a
place Of safety against the hatred of their
brutal enemies, the native and foreign born
Jews were no slackers in subscribing for
the Liberty Loan. But how many Of
them will appear in khaki. how will they
behave in the trenches, how many will
return with the war medal pinned to their
breasts?
There is yet insufficient, authentic ma
terial on the part played by the Jews ir
the present war, but the records Of the
past are known.
The Old Testament is fortunately still a
very accessible and pretty well known
book. Therefore, why waste space and
time in proving that the old Hebrews under
Joshua, their judges and kings were valor-
Gus warriors before the Lord? And who
does not know the story Of the Maccabees
and tho desperate defence of Jerusalem
against the powerful legions of Vespasian
and Titus in the year 70 A. D.? Who is
not acquainted with the heroic stand Of
Bar Kokba, the Hebrew Garibaldi, and his
followers at Bethar 1876 A. D.? But prob
ably very few readers will know that the
Jews were not only brave soldiers in their
own country, but that the martial fever
drove thousands Of them to serve as volun-
ts~rs In the armies of Alexander tbs Great
(S56-323 B. c., and Of the Syrian kings,
that Ptolemy of Egypt (32S-30s B.
c., employed them with preference as
garrison troops in his fortified places, thus
recognizing, at the same time, their brav-
cry and loyalty.
Ptolemy Philometor (died 145 B. c.
and his Queen Cleopatra committed their
whole kingdom to the two Jewish generals
Orias and Dositheus, for they were the
only ones in the whole army on whom they
could implicitly rely. Two other Hebrew
generals, Helgias and Ananias, saved the
same Queens throne from the onslaughts
of her own son, Ptolemy Lathyrus.
He who desires to read the story in de-
tail is referred TO the works of the famous
Judeo- Roman historian, Josephus Flavius
1875 A. d..
Even Julius Cesar was obliged to speak
in terms Of high praise of the valor dis
played by the 1900 Jewish soldiers en-
gagged in his wars against Egypt and
Mithridates Of Pergamon. Herod helped
Mark Antony with Ave Jewish cohorts.
But who, unless he made a special study
of the subject, would dream Of looking for
sturdy Jewish warriors in the Arabia Of
Mahomet? 1t is, nevertheless, a fact
that when the prophet came to Medina he
found the whole country full Of Jews ready
tc resist him, arms in hand. He tried to
rlake Of them his allies, but they refused.
Under King Alfonso VI of CASTLE, in
1868, more than 10000 Jews fought
against Yusuf ibn Teshufn at the battle
of Zalaka.
The famous traveller, Benjamin of
Tudela Twelfth century,, tells of the ex-
istence of an independent Jewish warrior
tribe living in the highlands of tho Per-
sian province of Khorasan, numbering
many thousand families and living under a
Jewish prince Of the name Of Joseph
Amarkala.
In the Thirty Years War the Jews de-
Tended the city of Prague against the
Swedes (I64SO.
About one hundred years later (l742-
1743), Rabbi Jonathan Eibenschuetz, a
famous Talmudical scholar, together with
other rabbis Of the Bohemian capital, stood
on the walls, encouraging their co-religion-
lists to defend the city against the attacks
Of the French army.
When, in 1894, the population Of War
saw rose in arms, a whole Jewish regi-
ment, under its own colonel, Of the name
Of Berko, was fighting in the suburb Of
Praga against the Russian General Su-
warow.
Jewish sailors in the Dutch navy ex-
celled in courage in the conquest Of Brazil.
And now. to come to this country: there
was only Q handful Of them in the time of
the Revolutionary War. But the names of
forty-six Jewish soldiers are known,
twenty-four Of them being officers. Colonel
Ieaac Franks and Colonel David Salisbury
Franks occupy a place Of honor in the
military history Of our country.
Brigadier General Joseph Bloomfield
and eight other Jewish officers distin-
guished themselveS in the War Of 1912.
The American navy carries on its roll
Of honor the names Of Commodore Uriah