cover image The Jewish Confederates

The Jewish Confederates

Robert N. Rosen. University of South Carolina Press, $39.95 (536pp) ISBN 978-1-57003-363-6

While prominent, largely forgotten Jewish leaders such as Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin and Q.M. Gen. Abraham C. Myers are re-examined in Rosen's account of the Jewish confederacy, the real contribution of this book to Civil War scholarship is its thorough look at the contradictions and ironies implied by the title, and the capsule biographical sketches of quite a few of the 2,000 Jewish men who served in the Confederate army and navy. Looking at the total Southern Jewish population of less than 25,000--based mainly in the cities of Memphis, Nashville, Mobile and Shreveport--Rosen concludes that, contrary to the commonly held idea of ""old"" Jewish families being the mainstay of the contingent, the typical Jewish soldier was a recent immigrant who ""enlisted to prove he was a man and a worthy citizen""--albeit a citizen sometimes subject to prejudices just as virulent as anti-black racism. In addition to tracking the exploits of many soldiers, Rosen also chronicles the trials and tribulations of Jewish civilians behind the lines and the growth of anti-Semitism as the war progressed. This groundbreaking study is liberally illustrated with photographs and maps, and is written clearly and energetically as a trade book, despite its academic stamp and thoroughness. (Oct.)