Our Gang In WW2

An interview with Andrew Marcus at the opening of a new exhibit at Kehila Kedosha Janina honoring congregants who were veteran's of World War II. Andrew and his father Marvin, a JHS 65 graduate and a "distant" Delancey Street fan of King Heroes, did an excellent job.
From the Kehila Kedosha Janina newsletter, written by Museum Director, Marcia Haddad-Ikonomopoulos.

When the United States officially entered World War II on December 7, 1941, of the 133,402,471 individuals living on the soil of the United States, under 5 million were Jews (less than 3% of the total population), but 550,000 would serve in the armed forces of the United States from 1941 to 1945 (4.3% of the total armed forces). About 11,000 would die in battle and more than 40,000 would return wounded. Among those brave men who served were many of our own. Many would be wounded. Ralph Battino would receive the Purple Heart for his injuries at Okinawa. There would be those who were taken as prisoners of war, including Isaac (Pat) Nachmias of 279 Broome Street (Max Nachmias’ older brother) and there would be those who would not return. Arthur Rubenstein, son of Stella David and Harry Rubenstein, would be shot down in the Pacific in 1944 at the age of 19. His body would never be recovered. Nissim Attas would die in Europe, buried in Henri-Chapelle Permanent Cemetery in Belgium. This exhibit is dedicated to “Our Gang,” Greek Jews, most sons of immigrants from Ioannina, many from the Lower East Side, who proudly fought to defend their country. Jews by faith, Americans by nationality, Greeks by ethnicity, they would make us all proud. Join us for the opening of this exhibit on November 2, 2008 at 1:00pm.