xii Preface
manpower needs of modern armies meant that we were suddenly faced with military service in all the lands where Jews resided. We faced the obligation willingly, but with no doctrine of warfare in contrast to Christianity and Islam . The State of Israel had to face these issues while conducting a series of wars. These are the topic of two further essays.
The responsa published here deal with specific problems which needed answers from a Jewish perspective. As virtually nothing on this topic existed in the traditional literature, they reflect new beginnings. Several in this selection are taken from two small, collections of responsa issued during World War II in a joint effort of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox authorities. They represent rare cooperation among the three American religious groups with their divergent approaches to the halakhah.