Were There Jews in the Nazi Army?

chronicle.com ^ | May 3, 2002 | DANNY POSTEL

[sheik yerbouty]

This crap is just a variation of the jihadist/nazi line "The Jews did it to themselved." Yasser's uncle Haj Amin Al Husseini organized Bosnian Muslim SS divisios for Hitler. The Book is Called "Asphalt Soldiers."

[onedoug]

"...men of partial Jewish origin...."

Like Herr Schicklegruber.

[swarthyguy]

It's a good article. Puts to bed the myth of pure blood and that no matter how hard the Nazis tried, it was impossible to accurately distinguish between bloodlines and genealogy.

[Cicero]

Very interesting. And interesting how desperate the standard academic historians are to deprecate and diminish his accomplishment. What a bunch of insecure dweebs they are.

[Cicero]

No, of course the Jews didn't do it to themselves. But all this writer is doing is documenting the facts. You don't need to put any particular interpretation on it. Historians really have a duty to begin with the facts.

[swarthyguy]

Ron Rosenbaum's book from a few years ago is an excellent compilation of Hitler from a variety of perspectives.

[SauronOfMordor]

A lot of it revolves around the question: is "Jewishness" a religion or an ethnicity?

It seems like most of these "Jewish Nazis" were Germans who had some Jewish ancestors, but who did not consider themselves Jewish. Is a baptised Jew still a Jew, or is he now a Christian?

[swarthyguy]

Well just take the Nazi/Wannsee Conference definition for a Jew. SOmething like if your great grandmother was jewish so were you...

[AzJP]

Well I'll be damned!

I didn't think I'd find anyone here that read Rosenbaum's book. Took me a while to digest it, some gristle, but it made me think. A lot.

[swarthyguy]

Also I think that most Jews up until Nazism really took over, tended to think of themselves as German first. How German Jewish WWI veterans could not believe that they would be treated the way they eventually were.

[swarthyguy]

That post is for you:

Also I think that most Jews up until Nazism really took over, tended to think of themselves as German first. How German Jewish WWI veterans could not believe that they would be treated the way they eventually were.

[VOA]

Just my opinion....but I think this research is more about the confusion a lot of men
had reconciling their ethnic origins with their self-image as Germans.

I suspect that this researcher helped a lot of aging soldiers at least "get it off their
chest" about their experiences...especially as they learned after the war what Hitler, et al. had
done to lots of people that were just like them.

[Senator Pardek]

Good post. For those of you who think the man's research is a crock, I offer three words: John Walker Lindh.

[Fish out of Water]

index bump

[lavrenti]

World War I was the first major war where Jews were allowed to serve in the German officer corps. A lot of Jewish line officers and NCOs died in the trenches in France fighting to the last breath for a country, who by the end of the Nazi regime had reduced their number, by exile or murder, from several million to a mere 17,000.

A terrible thought: how many Jews in the Kaiser's army took a bullet for Cpl. Hitler when the latter was a message runner?

[RJCogburn]

Fascinating. Thanks for posting.

[pierrem15]

John Walker Lindh

Ouch.

[RWCon]

Doesn't Israel have some definition of jewishness?

[Bob J]

Live! Now on RadioFR!

6pm/9pm - Thr Banana Republican interviews Dr. Miguel Faria Jr., who has some great articles such as his "Suggestions for Pres. Carter's trip to Cuba"--Macon Telegraph. On "Women, Guns and Disinformation". And a new book called "Cuba In Revolution; Escape From a Lost Paradise."

Click HERE to listen LIVE! while you FReep!