Local museum honors Jewish service throughout military history | 7Salutes

WASHINGTON (7News) — Washington, D.C. is a museum town, with some of the best collections in the world spanning across human history.

But tucked away blocks from Dupont Circle is a unique military museum that’s fighting to reclaim its place in American history. It's the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. In this age of heightened tension and antisemitism, they feel their mission is important now more than ever.

This museum celebrates a legacy that’s very much alive despite what some may want you to think.

“There’s a stereotype that goes back to Europe, goes back hundreds and hundreds of years that Jews are not involved in military service, that they didn’t fight,” said Michael Rugel, Director of Programs and Contact.

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The National Museum of American Jewish military history seeks to fix that narrative. It highlights a rich history of Jewish service dating back to the 1600s.

Rugel said even famed American author Mark Twain perpetuated this racist belief.

“It's very clear that’s not true but stereotypes are pervasive and difficult to get rid of, and there’s even well-meaning people that come in here and buy into the stereotypes," Rugel said.

The true story is one of heroism, like the 18 Jews who earned the Medal of Honor. Some of those very medals are on display. There are lots of artifacts from throughout American history and even a display showing the difficulties of today- with a display of the hostages held by Hamas. There are also stories of risk and bravery. During World War II, when more than half a million Jews served. Some of them were refugees who escaped Europe only to come back as liberators.

“They’re fighting an enemy that is seeking the destruction of the Jewish people. So most of the time we’re talking about how Jews served like all other Americans but it's special when the Jewish identity really comes into play,” said Rugel.

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“In World War II, they had religious identifiers on your dog tag and there was an H on your dog tag, H for Hebrew, which identified you as a Jewish soldier. That was something a lot of people thought about, was whether they want to be identified as Jewish if they were going to fight in Nazi Europe,” Rugel added.

If you’re lucky, you can hear the history from those who lived it, like from one of their docents, Lt. Col. Sheldon Goldberg.

Goldberg was a member of the Nite Owls, the only nighttime Air Force fighter squadron during the Vietnam War. They stopped trucks carrying equipment through enemy lines, often amid heavy fire.

“As soon as the flare opened up, the world exploded,” recalled Lt. Col. Goldberg. “We were triangulated by two 37 millimeters and one 57-millimeter gun and my pilot decided we’d had enough of that and he maneuvers and 'one, two, three' we silenced the guns!”

Goldberg earned two distinguished flying crosses, one of the military’s most prestigious medals. His flight suit and a number of his artifacts are on display. But Goldberg is equally proud of representing his faith.

“In many cases, I was usually the only Jew in the squadron,” he said.

Goldberg did not experience racism, but he says it was pervasive in the military for many years.

“Antisemitism in the military particularly in the Army at the time was probably more prevalent than the POW camps, than it was even in some of the German camps,” described Goldberg. “You’ll always find somebody that has some reason not to like a Jew just because he’s Jewish.”

Goldberg hopes people take away a greater appreciation of the role of Jews in American history.

“Jews served. And we served with distinction, we served with honor,” he said.

Whether it's honoring the past or acknowledging the present, this museum is committed to an optimistic future.

“We hope our stories contribute to the fight against antisemitism, that people can see that Jews made these important contributions to American history,” said Rugel.

The museum is open weekdays and admission is free.