Jewish War Veterans — JWV

JWV is the oldest active veterans service organization in this directory — founded in 1896 by Jewish veterans of the Civil War. It speaks for Jewish uniformed service members and veterans, and its service officers, in JWV's own words, connect any veteran, Jewish or not, to the VA benefits they earned.

Who it serves

Active membership is for Jewish veterans. In the words of JWV’s constitution: any person of the Jewish faith, a citizen of the United States, who served on active duty in the uniformed services of the United States — including the National Guard, Reserves, U.S. Public Health Service, and NOAA — under conditions other than dishonorable. JWV’s membership page adds that Jewish service members join free while on active duty and for the first year after leaving service. Associate membership covers Jewish veterans whose active-duty service fell outside a war or conflict, and veterans of allied forces who later became U.S. citizens.

The family’s doors are two. A family member can become a Patron — JWV is explicit that Patrons “are often family of members,” along with community leaders and veterans of other faiths; Patrons are supporters, not members, and are welcome at their local Post and in JWV programs. And the JWV Auxiliary (JWVA) — the National Ladies Auxiliary — is composed, in its own words, of “the spouses, children, siblings, and (grand)parents of the men and women who served with honor in the Armed Services, defending the United States.”

What it does

• Service Officers — JWV’s Service Officer Program connects any veteran to earned VA benefits; JWV’s own resources state its service officers “will process VA claims of any veteran completely free of charge to the Veteran.”
• Fighting antisemitism in the ranks — JWV’s National Judge Advocate processes claims of antisemitism within the military and the VA, and takes cases involving antisemitism, sexual assault, and racism in the military and VA.
• Advocacy — fighting for military and veterans benefits before Congress, the Executive Branch, and the White House, and combating antisemitism, bigotry, and hate.
• Youth and mentorship — JROTC and Scouting programs, grants and scholarships, and the Jewish Warrior Weekend.
• Presence — volunteers at bases, VA medical facilities, regional offices, and cemeteries, and the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, housed at JWV headquarters.

How a family uses it

• Start at jwv.org — national headquarters: 202-265-6280.
• For claims help, ask for the JWV Service Officer Program — the free claims help is for any veteran, not only JWV members and not only Jewish veterans.
• If you are the spouse, child, sibling, or parent of a Jewish veteran, the JWVA is your membership; if you simply want to stand behind a Post as family, the Patron route is yours.

Facts on this page are drawn from JWV's own published materials (jwv.org, including its constitution and membership pages), checked October 2026. Membership and program rules change; the organization's own site governs. Corrections: care@bowmanwebservices.com.