Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower, or "Ike" as his friends (and campaign managers) called him, was a man of simple pleasures. Born into a devoutly Christian family of German, English, and Swiss ancestry, he was not exactly steeped in the traditions of the Tribe. His early life was more about football and West Point than Yom Kippur and Yeshiva.

As Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II, Ike naturally encountered a great many Jews; both those fighting for the Allies and those liberated from concentration camps. His reactions and policies toward the displaced persons after the war have been a subject of historical debate, but it’s safe to say his focus was more on geopolitical strategy than on Jewish communal affairs.

While his administration saw the strengthening of the State of Israel, it was largely within the context of Cold War alliances rather than any particularly deep Hebraic convictions on Ike's part. He was a steady hand, a compromiser, and a leader who managed to keep America relatively calm during a turbulent era. His Jewish connections were, shall we say, tangential at best.