In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War, the Jewish History Museum, in partnership with the Tucson Jewish Community Center, will present a free screening of “Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray” on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at the JCC.
The film reveals the little-known struggles facing Jewish Americans in battle and on the home front during the War Between the States, when allegiances split the Jewish community as deeply as the national debate in the country at large. Some prominent Jewish voices cited the Torah to justify slavery, while others led the abolitionist movement. The film incorporates photographic and lithographic stills, anecdotes, interviews with noted historians and dramatic readings of letters and historical speeches, with Sam Waterson as the voice of Abraham Lincoln.
The event will also include a presentation by Civil War historian Syd Peters, “My Story — Mr. Sam Drachman,” about one of Tucson’s Jewish pioneers.
