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. Marx refuses, but the waning day around him stirs memories of his life before the war, and he decides to attend in search of his former self. Marx arrives at the synagogue and sits behind the boys, who don’t seem to be taking the ceremony seriously until they notice him. Marx listens as the rabbi laments that the food at the camp is not kosher but encourages the boys to eat it nonetheless and stay strong during their service.

The next week, Marx is called into Captain Barrett’s office because Grossbart’s mother wrote a letter to her congressman about the food not being kosher. In the letter, she says that Grossbart throws up every day from eating the food. Marx tries to explain to Barrett the importance of these dietary laws and the strong bonds between parents and children in Jewish families. Barrett listens but dismisses Marx’s suggestions. To address the letter, Marx and Barrett go to the shooting range to speak directly with Grossbart. Barrett uses Marx’s service record to universalize the Jewish people and tells Grossbart that if Marx can eat non-kosher food and be a war hero, then he can eat the food in the mess hall as well. He tries to shame Grossbart and tells him that dietary laws do not matter. After their conversation, Barrett leaves, and Marx questions Grossbart about his parents. Grossbart reveals that both of his parents speak only Yiddish and that he wrote the letter himself. Grossbart tells Marx that he is just looking out for his friends.

Two days later, another letter arrives from Grossbart’s parents saying that their son will give up the dietary laws for the good of his country and that Marx was the soldier who helped him make the decision. The letter is very complimentary of Marx, and he wonders what Grossbart’s motivations are for it but soon accepts the soldier’s withdrawal from his life. After this letter, Grossbart and his friends act as regular trainees and leave Marx alone. Marx grows used to being a noncombatant and enjoys being free of Grossbart.

One Sunday, though, Grossbart finds Marx and asks for two favors. His first is to know where they will be deployed, though Marx tells him he does not know. The second request is for a pass to visit his aunt in St. Louis for a Passover seder. Marx denies him, as no soldiers in training are allowed leave. When Marx brings up the most recent letter, Grossbart becomes angry, saying that Marx was never meant to see it, and accuses Marx of persecuting him for being Jewish. He begs Marx for a pass and Marx tells him to just be like everyone else. Grossbart leaves, and an hour later, Marx catches him trying to leave anyway and caves, writing him a pass and swearing him to secrecy.

Grossbart comes back soon after with Fishbein and Halpern, asking if they can all have passes, as his aunt invited them and he caught them before he left. Marx at first denies them, and Grossbart gives his pass to Halpern, saying he needs the break the most. Marx confiscates the pass, assuring them that he is not persecuting them. They are upset, and Marx finally caves and writes them all passes, asking only that they bring him back some gefilte fish in return.

After they depart, Marx decides to be kind to the boys and asks a colleague where the boys will deploy. The colleague tells Marx that the boys will be sent to the Pacific and that Shulman, who works in classification and assignment, saw the orders through the week before. The next night, Grossbart comes into Marx’s room asking about their assignment so he can help calm Halpern. Marx realizes that Grossbart is lying to get the truth and tells him that they will go to the Pacific. He reminds Grossbart that he does not have the power to change their assignment. Before he leaves, Grossbart gives Marx an eggroll instead of gefilte fish, and Marx realizes he lied about the seder. Grossbart tells him he had the date wrong, and Marx decides he is done helping the soldier. He tells Grossbart to leave him alone or else he will make his life miserable. He dismisses Grossbart and throws the eggroll out the window.

The soldiers receive their orders and learn that everyone is going to the Pacific except Grossbart, who will go to New Jersey. Marx realizes that Grossbart has made a connection with another Jewish superior, Shulman in classification and assignment. Marx calls the office and goes to Shulman’s superior, saying that Grossbart wants to go to the Pacific to avenge a made-up brother who died in Europe. He says that he is trying to help out a fellow Jewish soldier and requests that Grossbart be reassigned to the Pacific. The next day, with new orders in hand, Grossbart confronts Marx, calling him antisemitic. Marx confronts him about his lying and leaves as Grossbart weeps and rages. He asks Grossbart what happened to looking out for Fishbein and Halpern and condemns Grossbart’s hypocrisy while making peace with what he has done to the young soldier.