Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. Make History (Part I)

Usually, when I attend an event, I seek out a Jewish angle for the story. Recently, in the Albany suburb of Colonie, it was an easy task because the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. (JWV) held their 131^st national convention at the Marriott Hotel. The Jewish Press had exclusive access to the five-day event, which more than 100 people from 21 states attended. The veterans love to tell their war stories wherever they go.

The convention is touted as being the largest gathering of Jewish American military personnel and veterans in the nation. The JWV is the oldest active veterans’ organization in the country. It was founded on March 15, 1896, in New York City by Jewish veterans of the American Civil War, and was initially known as the Hebrew Union Veterans Association. This organization was established to combat the stereotype that Jews avoided military service, and has since evolved into a prominent voice for Jewish veterans in the United States. In 1918, it changed its name to Hebrew Veterans of the Wars of the Republic, reflecting its broader mission. In 1929, the organization adopted the name which it has retained to date, the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America.

New Commander Ushers in a New Era

Selina Kanowitz, a resident of Voorhees, NJ, was sworn in as the new national commander of the JWV, the first woman to hold the prestigious post. Kanowitz, 74, began her military career in January 1977 as an E-1 and served as a radiologic technologist, later becoming an NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge) in that field. During her career in the Air Force Reserve, she earned certification as a nuclear medicine technologist. She also served during Operation Desert Storm at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in southern New Jersey as a non-commissioned leader. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the only tri-service base in the Department of Defense and includes units from all six branches of the armed forces. Kanowitz was also responsible for supervising six different medical areas.

Handing over the reins to Kanowitz was outgoing National Commander Scott Stevens of JWV Post 749 in El Paso, Texas.

“A very special mazel tov to Selina Kanowitz, who moves from National Vice Commander into the role of National Commander. We wish Selina tremendous success in the year ahead and look forward to seeing where her leadership takes JWV,” Stevens said in his prepared remarks. “One of the things that made this convention especially meaningful was being welcomed by the local Jewish community in the Albany area.”

A Religious Experience

Rabbi Mordechai Rubin, 33, co-director of the Chabad Chai Center Colonie, helped provide a morning minyan and Torah services during the convention. He also assisted veterans with putting on tefillin and saying the appropriate berachos.

Rabbi Rubin shared a story about receiving a new JWV hat from Fred Altman, Commander of Albany Post 105. “It was a wonderful reminder that JWV isn’t just about veterans – it is also about the connection between Jewish veterans and the broader Jewish community,” he said.

An Israel Connection

Stevens, 69, retired after 30 years in the Army, earning the rank of E-7 and chief warrant officer 4.

“The Army was fun but it wasn’t all fun. There were many very serious moments. You have to want to do it,” Stevens told The Jewish Press. “I was in Desert Storm and Desert Shield. I had an additional deployment there. I’ve been with GWAT (Global War Against Terrorism), Enduring Freedom, and several different [military] campaigns.”

He continued, “I was also with the Patriot missile systems. While I was in Germany, we deployed to Israel for a training exercise where we were going to fire some Patriot missiles... I had a tour of the system and they were really technologically advanced. It is really a premier, excellent air defense system. Their hit-to-kill ratio is just phenomenal.” He explained that the job of the Patriot systems is to protect airports and seaports.

Stevens spent a year as a government contractor, followed by 12 years as a government employee in Fort Bliss, Texas. He retired as a GS-12.

A Veteran’s Regrets

Another veteran who served in Germany during the Vietnam War regretted never having served on the frontlines. Alan Paley, 79, a Fair Lawn, NJ, native who now lives in Coral Springs, FL, told The Jewish Press, “I served in the Air Force as a weapons specialist on the F-4 Phantom fighter from 1966 to 1970. I served in Germany, Italy, and North Africa. I was not sent to Vietnam because my brother was also in the service as an officer in the U.S. Army at the same time...

“The higher-ups in the Army gave him orders to go to Vietnam, so that circumvented me from going. I didn’t find out about this until 45 years later,” Paley, a past National Commander of the Jewish War Veterans, said. “I wouldn’t have wanted my brother to go instead of me. I felt it was my duty. I joined the military because I wanted to serve and didn’t get a chance to.

“I was stationed in Bitburg, Germany, which is in the southwestern part of the country, pretty close to the Luxembourg-Belgium border. It was one of the largest bases in Germany and it was the only base in Germany that was completely camouflaged. If you flew over the base from the air, you couldn’t see it... It was very interesting.”

Over the next couple of weeks, The Jewish Press will bring you more stories like Paley’s about the struggles, turmoil, and life decisions made by veterans who fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The stories are gripping and a reminder of how difficult it was to be on the front lines while others took a turn at serving but avoided combat, and others refused to serve at all. The dilemmas are spellbinding and will bring back memories of when life appeared to be simpler but was not as simple as it appeared.