Join us on Shabbat for our Veteran's Day tribute to those who served or are serving in America’s Armed Forces.

HTAA is honored to host Lt Col. Sheldon Goldberg, (USAF, Ret) Docent/Historian at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History.

Since Colonial days, American Jews have served their country's military in order to answer the call of duty.

Col. Goldberg will quickly walk us through 400 years of Jewish participation in the defense of our country, from pre-Colonial times until today, beginning with winning the right to bear arms in New Amsterdam, through the Revolutionary War, the Civil war, and the appointment of the first three Jewish chaplains in the Union Army and the creation of the Medal of Honor, World War I and the first commissioned Jewish chaplains in uniform, some heroes of that war and World War II, and the changed cultural perspective of Jews during that period, ending with brief comments on the Medal of Honor recipients of Korea and Vietnam and where we are today regarding Jews in the service.

Col. Goldberg is a 30-year veteran of the US Air force. he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in 1955 and transferred to the U.S. Air Force in April 1956. Goldberg became a navigator flying transports and later, a weapons systems officer and flew 214 combat missions in Southeast Asia. Shortly after his return to the U.S., Goldberg then departed on what became three consecutive tours in Europe: flying F-111’s in UK, USAF Advisor to the Commandant, in Hamburg Germany, and Air Policy Staff Officer, in Brunssum NL.

Overall, he spent half his career in Europe, serving in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and twice in what was then West Germany. Upon returning to the U.S., Goldberg was assigned to Air University, in Montgomery, Alabama serving first on the faculty of Air Command and Staff College, and later the Associate School, Air War College.He retired from the Air Force on August 1, 1985.

Goldberg moved to Montgomery County upon his retirement from the Air Force. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he earned two MA’s and a Ph.D.