Every Veterans Day, Americans pause to honor those who have worn the uniform of the United States. We thank them for their courage, their discipline, their willingness to put themselves between danger and the rest of us. But for many Jewish Americans, that uniform has always carried an additional meaning — not only as a symbol of patriotism, but as an act of gratitude toward the nation that opened its arms when others turned us away.

Jewish military service is as old as America itself. In 1654, when the first Jewish settlers arrived in New Amsterdam, one of them, Asher Levy, fought for the right to stand guard at the local fort, even as the colony’s governor tried to bar Jews from serving. Ever since, Jews have stepped forward in every major conflict: from the 7,000 who fought for the Union during the........

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