Civilians: When we go through this we need all the help and comfort you can give. This poster supported the Jewish Welfare Board, and sports the Star of David to the left of the center. The National Jewish Welfare Board, is now better known as the Jewish Community Centers Association. More than 250,000 Jews served in the armed forces in WW1. Approx. 3,500 were killed and more than 12,000 wounded. The NJWB helped enlist & raise funds. The National Jewish Welfare Board, founded on April 9, 1917, played a central role in providing for both the spiritual and material needs of Jewish troops in World War I. Later renamed the Jewish Welfare Board, this organization trained both rabbis and lay leaders to serve as aids for the Jewish military. The Jewish Welfare Board supplied soldiers with kosher food, Passover meals, holiday services, and trans-denominational prayer books. Important Jewish leaders such as Dr. Cyrus Adler expedited these efforts. The Jewish Welfare Board also organized secular activities for the soldiers. By 1918, the Board extended its effort to the Jewish troops overseas. This classic poster shows a solider who implores civilians to help with the war.
