Central Powers Soldiers Celebrating Hanukkah on the Eastern Front in 1916

Jewish soldiers of the Central Powers of the German and Austrian-Hungary Empires
celebrating Hanukkah together on the Eastern Front in 1916 during the middle of World War I.
Photo courtesy of the S. Ajnwojner Collection at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Photographer unknown.

This outstanding historical group photo shows a gathering of Jewish soldiers of the World War I Central Powers serving in the armies of the German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire celebrating the eighth day of Hanukkah (Wednesday, December 27, 1916) somewhere on the Eastern Front in Poland (or possibly Ukraine) in what was then the Russian Empire.

Since Jewish soldiers were scattered in relatively small numbers throughout the forces and there were so few Feldrabbiner (Field Rabbis) to serve them, the men would often have to travel a long way to celebrate their major festivals in heterogeneous groups like this one.

The Hanukkah Menorah in the center is being held by both a German Landsturm soldier on the right and a Austro-Hungarian soldier on the left to show the unity of the two empires placed on top a pile of snow with the Hebrew inscription "Hanukkah, 1916" written in coal.

On the left side of the Menorah is a Austro-Hungarian nurse who has the red and white Austrian ribbon for the Decoration for Services to the Red Cross on her coat. On the right side of the Menorah is a German volunteer field rabbi one of about 30 such individuals to serve with the German armies during World War I -- the Star of David can be seen on his field cap.

An estimated 100,000 German Jewish military personnel served in the German Army during World War I, of whom 12,000 were killed in action and an estimated 35,000 received accolades for their service -- including 18,000 were awarded the German Iron Cross. In the Austro-Hungarian army its estimated that about 300,000 Jewish men served with distinction.

Posted here on this site in eternal memory so that these men and their service and loyalty to their countries shall never be forgotten.

For all my Jewish readers worldwide, I would like to wish all of y'all a Chag Hanukkah Sameach!