Memorial Day Community Message

To Our Community –

On Memorial Day, we do more than observe a national holiday. We pause in sacred remembrance.

Memorial Day is one of the few moments in American life that asks us to slow down and truly reflect. Not simply on history. Not simply on patriotism. But on sacrifice.

It asks us to remember that freedom has never been free. That democracy has always required defenders. And that behind every flag placed in a cemetery, every folded uniform, and every name etched into stone was a human life filled with dreams, fears, loved ones, and unfinished stories.

As Jews, we understand the power of memory deeply.

In our tradition, memory is not passive. We do not remember simply to look backward. We remember so that the past continues to shape the present. We remember because remembrance itself is a sacred act.

And so today we remember the brave Americans who gave their lives in service to this nation. We honor those who never came home. And we express profound gratitude to all who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.

For me, this day is also deeply personal. My great-grandfather arrived in America from Poland as a Jewish immigrant searching for something millions before him had struggled to find: freedom, opportunity, and dignity.

He arrived speaking a different language. He arrived carrying the hopes of generations who had known persecution and instability in Eastern Europe. And not long after arriving, he put on the uniform of the United States Army and served during World War I.

I often think about what that must have meant.

Imagine arriving in a new country and so quickly deciding it was worth defending. That decision tells us something powerful about both America and the Jewish experience in America.

Because for so many Jews, service to this nation was never merely transactional. It was an expression of gratitude. Of belonging. Of belief in the promise of this country, even when America itself was still imperfectly living up to that promise.

My mother’s father served in the United States Navy during World War II. My father’s father served in the Merchant Marines during that same war, risking his life transporting troops and supplies across dangerous waters stalked by German U-boats.

Three men in my family. Three uniforms. Three different paths of service.

And behind their stories stand hundreds of thousands of other Jewish Americans who answered the call of duty throughout our nation’s history.

Jewish Americans fought in the Revolutionary War. They served in the Civil War. More than 550,000 Jews served during World War II alone. Jewish service members landed on the beaches of Normandy, flew missions across Europe, fought in the Pacific, and later served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and countless missions around the world.

And they did so while carrying a unique understanding of what freedom truly means.

Because Jews know what happens when societies fail. We know what happens when hatred is normalized. We know what happens when people stand by silently while others are targeted.

Perhaps that is why Jewish values and military service have never been contradictory.

Our tradition teaches responsibility. Our tradition teaches courage. Our tradition teaches that we are obligated not only to care for ourselves, but to stand up for others.

The ancient teaching from Pirkei Avot asks: “In a place where there are no leaders, strive to be a leader.”

Jewish American veterans answered that call.

And today, as we honor the fallen, we also honor those among us who served and continue serving not for recognition, but because they believed something greater than themselves was worth protecting.

There is a famous quote from the Jewish military leader and Zionist thinker Ze’ev Jabotinsky, who wrote: “It is good to die for our country.”

But I believe the real challenge for those of us gathered here today is not simply to admire sacrifice. It is to live lives worthy of it. To build communities worthy of what they defended. To strengthen a democracy worthy of their courage. To preserve freedom not merely through words, but through action and responsibility.

And that obligation feels especially urgent today.

We live in a moment of deep polarization. We see rising antisemitism around the world and here at home. We see institutions strained. We see hatred amplified at the speed of technology. We see people losing faith in one another.

Yet Memorial Day reminds us of something essential: America has endured because generation after generation stepped forward when called. Not because they agreed on everything. Not because the times were easy. But because they understood that freedom requires participation, sacrifice, and shared responsibility.

We are proud to have organizations in our community like the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, who fully embody that spirit.

For more than two centuries, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. – St. Louis Heritage Post 664 has stood as living proof that Jewish identity and American patriotism are deeply intertwined. They have defended not only this nation, but the dignity and visibility of Jewish service itself. They have ensured that the story of Jewish military service is remembered and honored as part of the broader American story.

And for that, we are profoundly grateful.

As President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, I often speak about the Jewish value of Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh all Jews are responsible for one another.

But Memorial Day broadens that lens. Today reminds us that citizenship itself carries responsibility, that freedom demands stewardship, and that democracy survives only when ordinary people are willing to protect extraordinary ideals.

I think about that often as a father raising my daughter, Nora.

One day, I hope she understands that the freedoms she enjoys were secured by people she will never meet. I hope she understands that the ability to gather openly as Jews in America proudly, publicly, and safely is not something history guaranteed. It was defended. Protected. Earned through sacrifice.

I hope she learns that patriotism is not loudness. It is service. It is integrity. It is showing up for one another.

And I hope she understands something else: That remembrance itself is a responsibility.

In Jewish tradition, when we remember someone, we keep a piece of them alive in the world.

So today, we do more than mourn the fallen. We carry them forward. We carry forward their courage, their ideals, their commitment to freedom, and their belief that future generations were worth protecting.

And perhaps the greatest tribute we can offer them is this: To build a country worthy of their sacrifice. To reject hatred and division. To strengthen our communities. To defend democracy. And to ensure that freedom remains alive not only in memory, but in practice.

May the memories of all those who gave their lives in defense of this nation forever be for a blessing. May God protect those currently serving in uniform. May God bless all veterans and military families who continue carrying the burdens of service long after the battles have ended.

And may we, through our actions and our lives, prove worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.