Rebecca Shapiro Thesis (11 May 2011).pdf - Brandeis Institutional ...

eleven pounds of cakes, cookies, preserves, cheese spread, salmon spread, cannedchicken, anchovies, candy, Nescafe, tea, chewing gum and cigarettes. 135 Brothers wroteto the national office expressing their deep gratitude for their packages. Isaac Strauswrote in January of 1943,If you can imagine… not having seen fresh food in over amonth, not to mention something like cookies, to find aperfect assortment of 'tasty, tempting, delectable morsels,'you can also imagine how I felt… that was a bright spot inan otherwise exceedingly dark period…Knowing thatyou're not forgotten, which is an easy thing to feel out here,is worth going through six successive Hell Weeks. Thanksfor that breadth from home 136The packages were described as manna from heaven, lifting the spirits of men stationedfar from home and surrounded by death and destruction.The war also brought Jewish fraternity men back to their Jewish roots. Religionand religious traditions provided servicemen with stability and comfort as they foundthemselves immersed in a world of horror. Lieutenant Robert J. Spiegal, a ZBT brotherstationed in Tunisia, described sitting in a foxhole not knowing "from one minute to thenext if that big one whistling down had your name on it." 137Servicemen found comfortin religion. Many led secular lives as civilians, and even declined the "H" for their dogtag, indicating they were a "Hebrew" when enlisting. However, the war brought out aJewish spirit. Several fraternity men reported attending services when available and ledthe services in the absence of chaplains. One fraternity man, reported the connection hefelt to the Jewish people when surrounded by "civilians, officers, British soldiers andAmerican Soldiers, all brought together from all over the world on those days by our135 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 155136 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 156137 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 15638