The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

A Time I Felt Aware of My Jewishness: Serving in World War II

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Prompted with the question, "Is there a time you felt particularly Jewish," Albert Dinner jokes about the Jewish circumcision ritual most male newborns face. After some thought, Leonard Strear remembers being acutely aware of his Jewishness while serving in World War II. He recalls what it was like to be a minority, experiencing anti-semitism from other soldiers and remembers celebrating high holidays while serving overseas.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Leonard Strear and Albert Dinner.

This excerpt is in English.

Leonard Strear was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. Leonard died in 2021.

Albert Dinner was born in Greeley, Colorado.