Max Fuchs, a rifleman in the First Infantry Division of the US Army, died on June 6, almost 74 years to the day from when he landed on Omaha Beach as part of the D-Day invasion in 1944.And on Oct. 29 of that year, Private Fuchs — who had attended a yeshiva and sang cantorial music in a choir while growing up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side — sang the traditional Sabbath hymns at a hugely emotional open-air service on the Aachen battlefield before some 50 fellow Jewish soldiers.
You can listen to the full service here: http://www.ajcarchives.org/main.php?DocumentId=13712
If you listen closely, you'll hear the words of Rabbi Lefkowitz, who lead the service:
“How sweet upon the mountain are the feet of the messenger of good tidings.”
"Profound with me is this service which we celebrate today. It is not the first which we hold in Germany but it is the first we broadcast to the world. With the prophet we say, "How sweet upon the mountain are the feet of the messenger of good tidings.'" i ….The light of religious freedom has pierced through the darkness • of Nazi persecution that freedom of conscience again exists in the land which had been denying men that. That eternal truth has lived through and will outlive the fanatical power which fought to destroy it. Again there is demonstrated these eternal truths that man cannot forever in the face of heaven, put himself in the place of God …. divinely given spirit in slavery and bondage."
You can read his obituary in the New York Times here.
Fuch's tour of service was similar to that of my father, who landed on Utah beach and went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. I'd like to think that my dad was among those who participated in the service.
After his war service, Fuchs worked as a diamond cutter in Manhattan, as did my father. Perhaps they knew each other!
Here's a feature about Max Fuchs and the service in Aichen, Germany. Avoid the comments:
May his memory be a blessing.
— sdl