JEWISH WAR VETERANS, POST 14, CLEVELAND, OHIO - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The JEWISH WAR VETERANS, POST 14, CLEVELAND, OHIO, was a unit of the oldest active veterans society in the U.S. It was organized in Nov. 1919, having been formed at a meeting protesting the pogroms and murders of Jews in Poland. The group was incorporated on 3 Feb. 1920 as the Cleveland Jewish War Veterans. Colors were presented to the post on 7 May 1921. Founders of the post included A. I. Hauserman (who served as the first commander of the post), Herman Stern, Sigmund Schlessinger, and Victor Sincere. In 1922 the Cleveland organization issued a call to all Jewish ex-servicemen to form a national organization. The call was taken up by the Hebrew Veterans of the Wars of the Republic in New York, a group formed in 1896 by New Yorkers who had served in the Civil War. It was renamed the Jewish War Veterans of America. When the Cleveland organization joined the national one in 1925, the local group was renamed Jewish War Veterans, Cleveland Post No. 14.

In addition to taking care of the needs of ex-servicemen, the post took an active part in community affairs and sponsored efforts to combat bigotry. In Cleveland, the first Memorial Day service to honor Jewish veterans was held in 1921. In the 1930s, the organization brought attention to the unjust treatment of Jews by Hitler. Morris Morgenstern, who was installed as commander at the 25th anniversary meeting in 1944, also served as a national vice-commander of the national organization. Post 14 also sponsored the Jewish War Veterans Memorial Home, established in 1948 at 1949 E. 90th St. Several conventions have been held in Cleveland, including one in Jan. 1965 for the Fifth Region of the Jewish War Veterans.

See also JEWS & JUDAISM.

Finding aid for the Jewish War Veterans, Post 14 Auxiliary Records. WRHS.

Also available: Finding aid for the Jewish War Veterans, Post 33 Records. WRHS.

Related Article(s)

• MILITARY
• RELIGION