List of Jewish Medal of Honor recipients

The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War. It is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. A recipient must distinguish themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. The medal is presented to the recipient by the President of the United States on behalf of the Congress.

Since it was instituted there have been 3,473 recipients. At least 27 American Jews have received the Medal of Honor for their actions starting in the American Civil War through the Vietnam War. The first two recipients were Henry Heller and David Orbansky. Both received it for their actions in 1863 during the American Civil War. Samuel Gross was the only Jewish American Marine to receive the medal for his actions in Fort Riviere, Haiti. The last to receive it was Tibor Rubin in 2005. He was believed to have been overlooked due to discrimination. His medal was for his actions in the Korean War in 1950. The medal was presented 55 years later.

## American Jews and the Medal of Honor
Depending on religious definitions and varying population data, the United States currently has the second largest Jewish community in the world (after Israel). The American Jewish population was estimated to be approximately 5,128,000 (1.7%) of the total population in 2008 (304,060,000). However, it may be as high as 6,444,000 (2.2%). As a contrast, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics estimated the Israeli Jewish population was 5,435,800 in 2007 (75.7% of the average population).

The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War. It is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The medal is bestowed "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force" and the recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal it is commonly presented after the recipient has been killed (posthumously).

Until 1914 the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart were the only medals that could be received. Prior to 1916 the criteria for the Medal of Honor were much less restrictive than it is today. In 1916 a board was established to ensure that future Medals of Honor would be made only for the highest purposes. The board determined some Medals that had been given out should be taken back.

Since the institution of the Medal of Honor, at least 27 have been presented to American Jews. Four received the medal posthumously.

Since its creation, 1522 have received the Medal of Honor for actions during the American Civil War. Depending on sources, as many as seven were Jewish.

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1894), "The Indian wars under the government of the United States have been more than 40 in number. They have cost the lives of about 19,000 white men, women and children, including those killed in individual combats, and the lives of about 30,000 Indians."

From the time the Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War, through the end of the Indian Wars there were 426 recipients

:*Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation*

## Philippines
The Philippine-American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and the First Philippine Republic. It was fought from 1899 to at least 1902. This war arose from a Filipino political struggle against U.S. occupation of the Philippines. While the conflict was officially declared over on July 4, 1902, American troops continued hostilities against remnants of the Philippine Army and other resistance groups until 1913. Some historians consider these unofficial extensions part of the war.

## Battle of Peking, China (Boxer rebellion)
In 1900 the United States dispatched American troops to China as part of a multinational force. It was sent to quell a rebellion that was endangering the lives of citizens from several countries. The conflict would become known as the Battle of Peking, or as the Boxer rebellion. After the battle, 59 Medals of Honor were presented for actions throughout the event.

## Haiti
In 1915 Haiti saw several bloody changes in Government leadership. The result was an unstable and dangerous environment for American citizens, business and interests. A citizen led revolt overthrew and killed the brutal new dictator General Vilbrun Guillaume Sam within 6 months of seizing power. President Woodrow Wilson ordered the United States Marines to restore order and protect American property and lives. When the Marines arrived they began engaging the rebel Cacos and in a battle that ended at Fort Riviere, Haiti. It resulted in hand-to-hand combat and the Cacos were eliminated. After the battle six Marines received the Medal of Honor

:*Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation*

## World War I
When World War I broke out, the United States initially maintained a policy of isolationism. They avoided conflict while trying to negotiate peace between the warring nations. When a German U-boat sank the British liner *Lusitania* in 1915 there were 128 Americans aboard. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson vowed that "America isn't too proud to fight". He demanded an end to attacks on passenger ships. Germany complied and Wilson unsuccessfully tried to mediate a settlement. He repeatedly warned that the U.S. would not tolerate unrestricted submarine warfare, in violation of international law. In 1917, three years after the first shots of the war were fired, the United States entered the war. By the end of the conflict more than 4.7 million American soldiers, sailors and Marines would fight in the war.

More than 250,000 Jewish Americans served in the armed forces during the war. More than 3,000 killed in action and another 12,000 being gassed or wounded. Lieutenant Edouard Izac was captured by a German submarine after it sank the ship he was on. He was then taken prisoner and brought aboard where he gathered information about German submarine movements. He realized the importance of the information and determined he must escape. For his first escape attempt he jumped from a moving train. He was recaptured and sent to a prison camp. On his second attempt he successfully escaped the prison camp and made his way through the mountains of southwestern Germany. He swam the Rhine River at night with German sentries nearby.

Among the recipients were three Jewish Americans, Isadore S. Jachman, Ben L. Salomon and Raymond Zussman who all received it posthumously.

:*Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation*

## Korean War
Korea was split into the two separate countries of North and South, Korea along the 38th parallel. Tensions between the two countries worsened when other countries began to get involved on both sides. The communist country of North Korea was supported by Russia, China and others. The democratic South was supported by the United Nations and the United States. In 1950 the United States got involved and over the next three years more than 1.5 million US service members would serve in Korea. During the three years of the war 133 Medals of Honor were presented.

On July 23, 1950 Tibor Rubin was serving as a rifleman in Korea when his unit was forced to retreat. He was ordered to stay behind and keep the road open for the withdrawing unit. During the 24-hour battle he single-handedly fought off an overwhelming number of North Korean troops. He inflicted severe casualties on the attacking unit and assisted in the capture of many prisoners. A few months later Chinese forces staged a night-time assault on his unit and Rubin manned a machine gun allowing the unit to retreat southward. He again inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking unit. During the battle he was severely wounded and was eventually captured by Chinese forces. Although the Chinese offered to release him early and return him to his native Hungary, he refused. He remained a prisoner and risked his life repeatedly by sneaking out at night to get food and medical supplies for other wounded prisoners.

A 1993 study commissioned by the United States Army investigated racial discrimination in the awarding of medals. During the investigation it was determined that one Veteran American Jew and Holocaust survivor, Tibor Rubin, had been the subject of discrimination due to his religion and should have received the Medal of Honor. In 2005, 55 years later, President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Rubin in a ceremony at the White House, for his actions in 1950 during the Korean War.

During the Vietnam War, 246 Medals of Honor were received, 154 of them posthumously. from the Army and John Levitow from the Air Force.

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## Other websites
* National Museum of American Jewish Military History Hall of Heroes