It also changed the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians. Though many often think of the Western Front, there was also the oft-forgotten Eastern Front from which the writings in this book are derived. Selig Schachnowitz, a gentle soul who wrote much of his work in Yiddish, provides four short stories, each on a different topic about the war. In 1908 he became Editor-in-Chief of Der Israelit, the official newspaper of Orthodox Judaism in Germany. Dr. Felix Theilhaber—a decorated physician in the German Army—laconically describes his meeting and experiences with the shtetl Jews of Eastern Europe—their language, foibles, view of the war, and religious practices. These writings provide creative glimpses of the war that are often overlooked. They remind of the tragedy of war on an intensely personal level.
About the author:
Peter C. Appelbaum, MD, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He is the author, editor, and translator of numerous books on Jewish military history and literature, including Broken Carousel: German Jewish Soldier-Poets of the Great War (co-editor), Loyalty Betrayed, Prayers After the Slaughter by Kurt Tucholsky (co-editor and co-translator), and Loyal Sons.
