Part of The Weitzman’s collection, Herman Hershman Carried This Bible during World War II — Hershman Attended the Same Synagogue as Shapiro

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (January 12, 2023) – Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro has chosen to use an American Jewish artifact from Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) during his inauguration ceremony.

On January 17, Shapiro will take the oath of office at the Capitol in Harrisburg and be sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor with his hand resting on a Bible carried by US Army soldier Herman Hershman during World War II. This Bible was published for Jewish servicemembers by the Army in 1942, in consultation with Jewish chaplains.

Hershman was a lifelong member of Beth Sholom in Elkins Park, which is also Josh Shapiro’s longtime synagogue.

“Governor-Elect Shapiro is a committed and proud Jew who made his faith part of his campaign and has fought antisemitism as Attorney General,” said Dr. Misha Galperin, The Weitzman’s President and CEO. “As Governor, he’ll be one of the most influential Jewish leaders in the United States — and his is the type of ‘Only in America’ story that we tell at our museum. We’re honored to lend Herman Hershman’s Bible, a treasured part of our collection, for this historic moment.”

A graduate of Philadelphia’s Central High School, Herman Hershman enlisted in the US Army in October of 1943 while a student at Temple University. Private Hershman landed on Omaha Beach with the First Infantry Division, in the first wave of Allied forces to arrive in France during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. Hit in the head and face by fragments of an artillery shell, Hershman was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service during that operation. After recuperating, he was promoted to Corporal Technician Grade 5 and assigned to guard German prisoners at a POW camp near the village of Bolbec in Normandy.

After the war, Hershman returned to Temple University on the GI Bill. He and his wife, Rhoda, donated artifacts related to his military service to The Weitzman in 2010. Along with this Bible were other artifacts showing that Hershman strove to remain observant while serving in Europe. While stationed at the POW camp, Hershman attended Purim services, according to a chaplain’s note to Hershman’s father. 

His father, Joseph Hershman, served as the sexton (aka executive director) at Beth Sholom synagogue’s original location in Philadelphia’s Logan neighborhood for decades. In 1959, the congregation moved into a building famously designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in close consultation with Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen, in the nearby suburb of Elkins Park.

The Weitzman is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Museum admission continues to be free for the near future, made possible through a generous challenge grant from The Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation, which has committed matching funds to subsidize admission over the next two years, up to $500,000.

High-Resolution Photos and Credits

Hershman Bible (credit: Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History)
The Weitzman (credits enclosed)

ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Its purpose is to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. https://theweitzman.org/