A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

Soldiers in the trenches before battle, Petersburg, Va., 1865.
Jews were scattered throughout the Civil War. They were found on
opposing sides on issues as well as on the battlefront. Photo:
National Archives

Jews and the Civil War

By Jim Winnerman, Special to the Jewish LightPublished January 4, 2012

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Jewish family loyalties mirrored what occurred throughout the United States where brother fought against brother. Jews also found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield. Out of 150,000 Jews in the U.S....

Image from the film “Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray.”

‘Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray’ recounts little-known yet significant aspect of Civil War history

By Cate Marquis, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 1, 2011

April marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, which makes a documentary about Jewish Americans in the Civil War especially timely. "Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray" reveals the largely untold history of Jews on both sides of the...

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