NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 | 61
J
N
‘Golden Book’ of the Fallen
N
ov. 11, as it is every year, is Veterans
Day. This is the day when we honor
all the women and men who have
served in America’s armed forces. This
is distinct from Memorial Day, a time to
commemorate those who died for our nation.
Veterans Day began
as Armistice Day. It was
designated as such to honor the
soldiers, sailors, Coast Guard
and Marines who fought in
World War I, which ended by
agreement, an “armistice,” at 11
a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th
month of the year. In 1954, after
intense lobbying by veteran organizations,
Congress renamed the holiday Veterans Day.
During World War I and World War II, the
practice of displaying stars on banners in the
windows of homes with family members in
the military began. A blue star indicated that
someone was on active duty; sadly, a gold star
meant that a family member had died while
serving.
In Metro Detroit, Jewish members who died
in action in WWII and Korea are honored
in a special way. The Jewish War Veterans
(JWV) Michigan chapter created a Gold Star
book that recorded the names of all known
Jewish Michiganders who died in WWII and
Korea in 1954. This “Golden Book” is a part
of the JWV collection at Temple Beth El’s
Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives.
Laura Gottlieb, director of cultural
resources, states that: “The Golden Book is an
incredible resource. Not only for the wealth
of information but also for the feeling you get
flipping from page to page. On more than one
occasion, visitors have opened the Golden
Book, simply interested in looking, only to
find their own relative was included, and
those moments really touch your heart. It is a
very special item.”
Indeed, this “Golden Book” is a fine
and lasting tribute to those who made the
ultimate sacrifice. This and all JWV Michigan
records can be accessed at the Michigan
Center for Jewish Heritage, online https://
mijewishheritage.catalogaccess.com/
archives/2950 or onsite at the Joan
Meyers Jampel Center at Temple
Beth El.
For Veterans Day, I decided to
explore the topic in the William
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish
Detroit History. At
first, I thought I had
discovered a “gold mine”
about the Golden Book
as “golden book” was
a topic on 997 pages.
However, most reports
were about the golden
book of the Jewish
National Fund or stories
about the creation of
golden books for special
occasions at local
synagogues and other
Jewish organizations.
For example, see the
item in the Jan. 26,
1979, JN about William
and Belle Levin being
inscribed in the JNF
book.
I did locate reports
about JWV’s Golden
Book in the Archive. The JN had a story
about the dedication of the book in its
April 26, 1957, issue. A week later, Danny
Raskin wrote a very nice description of
the event and the Golden Book in his
“Listening Post” column (May 3, 1957).
An excellent story about our vets that
includes the Golden Book is by JN’s own
Alan Muskovitz, who often writes about
veterans and the JWV. “Thank You for Your
Service” was written especially for Veterans
Day in 2021 (Nov. 11, 2021).
Saturday, let’s all take a moment to thank
our veterans, whether in person or in our
thoughts.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available
for free at thejewishnews.com.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at thejewishnews.com