Harry Kershenbaum with a friend during WWI

veterans day

This is a studio portrait of Harry Kershenbaum (left) with a fellow Polish army soldier comrade. It was taken during the years leading up to or during World War I, a period marked by instability, shifting authority, and widespread conscription.

Their formal dress uniforms, medals, and composed posture suggest men already shaped by military discipline and service. Such photographs were often taken before deployment or during brief leave.

For Jewish soldiers, service in the Polish Army during this era carried distinct challenges. While Jews were drafted alongside their non-Jewish peers, they often faced social isolation, suspicion, and discrimination within the ranks. Religious observance was difficult, advancement and camaraderie was limited.

Despite this, Jewish soldiers fulfilled their duties with professionalism and resilience, navigating a system that demanded loyalty while rarely offering full acceptance in return.

This image preserves a rare moment of calm, two soldiers presenting themselves not as outsiders, but as men in uniform, steady, composed, and standing their ground within the structure they were given.