2 min read
For decades the history of our people in the Second World War has only focused on the tragic losses of the lives of million of our ancestors.
The Holocaust is an ever-present part of our collective past; but one aspect that is often neglected in society and even our own reflections on the events of the Second World War is the role that Jewish soldiers played in fighting against the Nazi regime.
Since 2001, January 27 has been chosen to mark a national day of commemoration in the UK, for those who died during the Holocaust and since 2005, the same date has been chosen to be the official day of Holocaust commemoration by the UN and EU.
However, 70 years after the conclusion of the Second World War, many people are completely unaware of the role that Jewish soldiers played in fighting Nazi Germany.
More than 1.5 million Jews fought in the allied forces, ghettoes and underground groups and over 200,000 medals for bravery and citations were awarded to Jewish fighters, both living and dead. The Jewish Brigade, a British military unit formed of around 5000 Jewish volunteers, for example, were heavily involved in the Italian campaign and even fought against the German 4th parachute division in the final offensive.
Over the past 70 years, the narrative surrounding Jews in the Second World War has developed into a narrative solely of victimhood. One organisation that aims to reframe this narrative is the Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War 2. The Museum, located in Latrun, Israel, will chart the story of Jewish soldiers from over twenty countries who fought in the Second World War, including forces from Great Britain, Australia, the USA and France. It will become an international research and education hub, comprising of several spaces presented chronologically starting in September 1939 and ending with the Japanese surrender in September 1945.
One of the soldiers featured is Flight Sergeant Arthur Louis Aaron, a British Jew born in Leeds. At 21 years old, Arthur Aaron was captain and pilot of a Stirling bomber of 218 Squadron RAF based at Downham Market in Norfolk. When on a raid on Turin, Italy on 12 August 1943 the aircraft was hit by gunfire. Several crew members were wounded and the navigator, Canadian Cornelius A. Brennan, was killed. The aircraft was heavily damaged and Arthur Aaron was badly wounded, his jaw was broken, his lung hit and his right arm rendered useless.
While Holocaust Memorial Day will undoubtedly remain a day of sadness, we can only hope for the establishment of more organisations that can educate the world about the heroic role that Jews played in the Second World War, so that future generations can continue to be inspired by the bravery displayed by so many Jewish soldiers in the face of unthinkable horror.
As we look back to the horrors that our people faced during the Holocaust, it is crucial that as we remember those who perished, we commemorate those who fought back to protect our future.
The writer is the Chair of the Development Council for the Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II in Israel. She is also President of the Friends of the Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II - fundraising for the development of the museum. www.friendsofmojs.org
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