OURS TO FIGHT FOR. The experiences of "ordinary" American Jewish soldiers during World War Two is the focus of Ours to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War, a worthwhile exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage through December 31, 2006. The exhibition recreates the passage of the soldiers from civilian life through service in the different branches of the military. Some of the profiled soldiers went on to become well-known--Ed Koch was one of them--but many remained relatively anonymous, blending back into mainstream society with the help of the GI Bill and a burgeoning and hopeful economy.

Straightforward in its presentation, Ours to Fight For can act as an introduciton to World War Two and the military experience. For those more familiar with those broad subjects, it still offers some unusual perspectives. For American Jewish soldiers, dogtags weren't simply dogtags--their religious designations could become death sentences if recognized by Nazi captors. In the POW section, you can see how soldiers consoled themselves by remembering favorite New York City eateries. A powerful section of the exhibition uses motion picture footage to show American Jewish soldiers leading a religious ceremony at a liberated camp.

Early in the exhibition schedule, the museum screened The Ritchie Boys, a documentary about a special group of soldiers--most of them Jewish Americans with European backgrounds--selected to train as intelligence officers at Camp Ritchie, Maryland and serve in areas where they could put their knowledge of language and culture to use. The Ritchie Boys aren't really represented in the standing exhibition, but the hard-to-find DVD of The Ritchie Boys is available through the museum shop, where the exhibition book is also available.

Admission at the Museum of Jewish Heritage is free on Wednesday evenings from 4 pm through 8 pm.

Photo: Graduation Day at Thunderbird Field, collection of Philip Topiel