Goodbye Columbus

In May 1945, Nathan Marx flies out of Europe to finish World War II with a training company at Camp Crowder in Missouri. On his first night as first sergeant, Sheldon Grossbart asks Marx about the GI parties every Friday. These “parties” are when soldiers clean out their barracks in preparation for Saturday inspections. They also coincide with Jewish services. Grossbart notifies Marx that the other men think he and two other Jewish soldiers attend services to avoid cleaning. Marx tells Grossbart that he can do nothing to stop the other soldiers from thinking or saying that but confirms to Grossbart that he is Jewish himself.

Marx brings the issue up to his superior, Captain Barrett, who ignores it, saying that he judges men by their hearts and guts and that there is no need to address the issue. Marx decides to address it anyway, and under Captain Barrett’s name, he announces that anyone can attend their respective religious services when they occur as long as they report to him first. It is a Friday, and Grossbart and his friends Fishbein and Halpern report to Marx before going to the synagogue. Grossbart thanks Marx for legitimizing their attendance and even invites him to join them.