Confederate Jewish war memorial at a cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Janet Greenberg
3 thoughts on “Not Lighting A Yahrzeit Candle For This One”
This is odd: not that there were Jews in the Confederacy (we all remember Judah Benjamin), but that this bronze plaque seems of recent date and carries such a strange transliteration. “Shemang”? Looks to me like a transcription from memory by someone who had not seen the prayers in Latin letters before. I would be curious to know who decided to put it up.
The errors in the transliteration, of which there were several, were not lost on me. I do wonder if this monument could have been erected by a non-Jew. The alternative is not a happy one.
I should add the caption I was thinking of last night, when my reptile cortex took over:
“Erected by members of a people who, 2,500 years ago, were enmired in slavery so profound that it took the Hand of God to liberate them.”
This is odd: not that there were Jews in the Confederacy (we all remember Judah Benjamin), but that this bronze plaque seems of recent date and carries such a strange transliteration. “Shemang”? Looks to me like a transcription from memory by someone who had not seen the prayers in Latin letters before. I would be curious to know who decided to put it up.
The errors in the transliteration, of which there were several, were not lost on me. I do wonder if this monument could have been erected by a non-Jew. The alternative is not a happy one.
I should add the caption I was thinking of last night, when my reptile cortex took over:
“Erected by members of a people who, 2,500 years ago, were enmired in slavery so profound that it took the Hand of God to liberate them.”