Friday, May 9, 2008

Torn apart and put back together again...

Art Buchwald, the world-famous humour columnist is one of many Jewish Americans who share their stories of World War II in the The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center.

You can listen to Art, a member of the 113th Fighter Squadron, 4th Marine Air Wing of the Marine Corp, discussing his boot camp experience where they "tore you apart and put you back together again." And in the audio clip "Life in Marines for a Jewish boy from New York" he recounts the harassment he received and the surprising reason for it.

The Veterans History Project commemorates Jewish American Heritage Month with a special series of 10 first-hand stories of Jewish Veterans of World War II. The Library of Congress' Jewish American Heritage Month 2008 theme, “The American Jewish Experience,” was inspired by the Library’s book and exhibition “From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life.”

According to the book, “the view of America as both a haven and a home reflects the country’s extraordinary hospitality to the civilizations and cultures of the diverse groups of Jewish immigrants who, over the centuries, made America their home. The twin blessings of freedom and opportunity encouraged and rewarded active participation in society-at-large. But persistent challenges to group survival have also been a consequence of this unprecedented freedom, and, in response to these pressures, new modes of group affiliation and identification emerged.”

No comments: