Bertram Korn

Bertram Wallace Korn, Sr. (6 October 1918–1979) was an American historian and rabbi, who served in the Chaplain's Corps of the United States Navy during World War II. Serving with the US Naval Reserve after the war, in 1975, he was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Chaplains Corps, the first Jewish chaplain to receive flag rank in any of the United States armed forces.

From 1949 to 1979 Korn was Senior Rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this period, he also wrote and published twelve books, primarily about Jewish history in the United States, with several books related to the history of Jews in the South.

Bertram Wallace Korn was born on in 1918 to Manuel and Blanche (née Bergman) Korn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University before graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 1936 with a BA in history.

He was determined to be a rabbi and received an M.H.L. degree from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1943. This was the center of Reform Judaism in the United States. He was ordained as a Reform rabbi in that city. He returned late for more graduate work, earning a D.H.L. degree from the College-Institute in 1949.

In 1944, Korn enlisted in the United States Navy and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Chaplain's Corps. He was assigned to China with the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions. He continued his association through the US Naval Reserve after the war. In 1975, he was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Chaplains Corps, U.S. Naval Reserve, the first Jewish chaplain to receive flag rank in any of the United States armed forces.

...
Wikipedia