When Charley Jay served with the U.S. Army in the 1970s, he was stationed in Germany as an active-duty serviceman. While he spent most of his time around other soldiers and didn’t feel any obvious traces of the Nazi regime that had been crushed just a few decades earlier, his family history made it a bit surreal to be in the country.
“On my father’s side, my grandfather had brothers and sisters whose family was killed in the Holocaust, so it was eerie going back there,” Jay said.
Jay, 73, is now a retired colonel but is almost as active as he was during his service years. He serves as the Baltimore County Veterans Commission Chair, is involved in American Legion Post 122 and serves as senior vice commander for the Department of the Mid-Atlantic and Israel of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.
For some soldiers, more than four decades across active duty, reserves and government work would be enough association with the military. For Jay, it was just the start.
“I feel it’s a responsibility,” the Owings Mill resident and Beth Tfiloh Congregation member said. “I’m fortunate enough right now to be able to give back — so while I can, that’s what I do.”
Jay said that his work with the county and American Legion are not religious, because it’s important to serve all vets. The Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., while Jewish in name, serves the community as a whole, too. Next month, the organization will hold its annual Chanukah event and collect donated toys and clothes for kids at a local hospital.
However, the organization is also committed to adding an important voice to the conversation about Jews in the military.
“We want to show that Jews served in the military and do today. Jewish War Veterans is the oldest veteran organization [still active today]. It was formed in 1896, and then I think that, even today, unfortunately, in 2025, there’s a perception that Jews didn’t and don’t serve in the military. We did. We serve proudly,” Jay said.
Jay is originally from England, moving to the United States as a 5-year-old. He grew up in Minneapolis and New York, finding his way to Baltimore in the early 1990s, when he got a job at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County. Originally settling in Laurel, the Jay family moved to Owings Mills so they could be closer to the region’s Jewish community.
“It’s a great community, welcoming community and active community, which is important in today’s world,” Jay said.
In the military, Jay said that his needs as a Jewish soldier were almost always accommodated. He was able to take off for holidays and attend services. He and his family still do holidays and services today, and keep a kosher home.
When it comes to his work with the veterans organizations, there are two problems that Jay and his fellow leaders work to counteract: increased rates of suicide and homelessness among ex-servicemembers.
“Twenty veterans a day take their life,” he said.
Jay views these problems as a symptom of larger issues. He said that many soldiers retire from service and feel a loss of purpose, with many also suffering from mental or physical health problems. “That’s the key when people talk about homelessness,” he said. “We have to get them to a shelter, but more importantly, why are they homeless? Same thing with suicide — why are they taking their lives?”
Jay “wears three main hats,” as he described it, referencing his work with the Legion, the Jewish Veterans organization and the county commission, not to mention his civilian involvement with Beth Tfiloh. Regardless of which hat he is wearing, the mission is always the same: support those who gave their all for the safety and freedom of all Americans.
With another Veterans Day having come and gone, Jay said he will keep doing this work as long as possible.
