Finding Lt. Baskind: A Jewish American Soldier, a Nazi Grave, and the Great-Niece Who Brought Him Home

with Dr. Samantha Baskind

When: Wednesday, June 3, 7:00pm ET

Where: Congregation Mishkan Or and via Zoom (hybrid)

Summary: This talk discusses the remarkable story of Samantha's great uncle, First Lieutenant Nathan Baskind, a Jewish American soldier who fought at the Battle of Normandy, went missing in action soon after, and whose remains were identified nearly 80 years after his death. Drawing on military records, genealogical research, DNA evidence, and family history, the talk explores how one family’s search became an international effort to restore a lost soldier’s identity and honor. Together, these discoveries helped uncover the truth about her uncle's burial in a German mass grave and led to his eventual reburial with full military and Jewish honors in the Normandy American Cemetery. The presentation also reflects on memory, loss, and the extraordinary effort to bring one fallen soldier home.

Presenter: Dr. Samantha Baskind is Distinguished Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University, specializing in Jewish American art and visual culture. She is the author of six books, including Moses Jacob Ezekiel: Jewish, Confederate, Expatriate Sculptor, and co-editor of The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches. Her scholarship—spanning more than 100 articles and reviews—has expanded perspectives on American art, especially overlooked and marginalized artists and objects.

An active public scholar, Baskind has written for TIME, Smithsonian Magazine, Hyperallergic, Tablet, and The Washington Post. She has held major editorial and curatorial roles in the U.S. and Israel.  She has brought exhibitions by Jewish American artists Archie Rand and Siona Benjamin to the CSU Galleries and curated, with Roy Schwartz, "Icons in Ink: The Jewish Comics Experience," recently opened at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Registration: This event is free for members and non-members of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland.  Registration is requested for all and required for those wishing to attend via Zoom, by Tuesday, June 2nd.  The Zoom link will be distributed multiple times within the week prior to the meeting date. Please direct any questions to Jane Rothstein at president@jgscleveland.org.