1944 503rd U.S. IKE Jacket

[NoahBenzing]

This jacket appears to have belonged to a Technician 5th Grade who was a member of the 503rd Ordnance Company *Heavy Maintenance*. The Helmet is not associated with the jacket as far as I know. There was a jewish scroll inside the jacket's left breast pocket so I consulted with a friend of mine who is in the IDF *Isreali Defense Force* who told me about this scroll. I am posting this here with his permission.

________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Aviv Levy

 

March 14 at 6:03pm

do you know what is mezuza?????

A mezuzah is a piece of parchment (often contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah. These verses comprise the Jewish prayer "Shema Yisrael", beginning with the phrase: "Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."

 

A mezuzah is affixed to the doorframe of Jewish homes to fulfill the mitzvah (Biblical commandment) to inscribe the words of the Shema "on the doorposts of your house". Many families place a mezuzah on the front door only, but observant Jews affix one on every doorway in the home apart from bathrooms, as well as closets too small to qualify as rooms. The parchment is prepared by a qualified scribe (a "sofer stam") who has undergone many years of meticulous training, and the verses are written in black indelible ink with a special quill pen. The parchment is then rolled up and placed inside the case.

 

According to halakha, the mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door, in the upper third of the doorpost (i.e., approximately shoulder height),within approximately 3 inches (8 cm) of the doorway opening.[citation needed] Generally, halakha requires that mezuzot be affixed within 30 days of moving into a rented house or apartment. This applies to Jews living in the Diaspora (i.e., outside of the Land of Israel). For a purchased home or apartment in the Diaspora, or a residence in Israel (owned or rented), the mezuzah is affixed immediately upon moving in. The case can be affixed to the doorpost with nails, screws, glue, or double-sided tape. Wrapping the scroll in plastic wrap before placing it in the case will protect it from the elements. Care should be taken to not tear or damage the parchment or the wording on it, as this will invalidate the mezuzah, which is considered Torah.

Where the doorway is wide enough, Ashkenazi Jews and Spanish and Portuguese Jews tilt the mezuzah so that the top slants toward the room into which the door opens. This is done to accommodate the variant opinions of the medieval Rabbis Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam as to whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, and also to imply that God and the Torah (which the mezuzah symbolizes) are entering the room. Most Sephardim and other non-Ashkenazi Jews affix the mezuzah vertically.

 

The procedure is to hold the mezuzah against the spot upon which it will be affixed, then recite a blessing:

 

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשַׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָנוּ לִקְבּוֹעַ מְזוּזָה

Baruch atta Adonai Eloheinu melech ha‘olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu likboa‘ mezuza.

 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His mitzvot, and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.

Any Jew can recite the blessing provided he or she is old enough to understand the significance of the mitzvah. After the blessing, the mezuzah is attached.

When affixing several mezuzot, it is sufficient to recite the blessing once, before affixing the first one.

 

that is all.... if you want to know the pray inside the card let me know i will try to translate it for you.....

have a good day and if you need something else... let me know...

now we know that this coat was belong to a jew... ))

________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

However, I also later learned that the 503rd was in Northern Frace and gone through/helped to liberate a concentration camp?

I am posting this in the hopes that maybe someone who knows someone from the 503rd who was Jewish...

I couldn't bear to put a price on this jacket and put it in the back of the store for the time being

[NoahBenzing]

Tag inside the jacket.

[NoahBenzing]

Reaching into left breast pocket.

[NoahBenzing]

Behold a strange metal tube with a scroll inside...

[NoahBenzing]

Writing can be seen on the scroll through a hole in the side of the tube.

[NoahBenzing]

Scroll and tube on jacket's patch.