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Remembering Jewish Heroism on V-E Day

(Jerusalem Post) Michael Freund - On May 8, 1945, 75 years ago, the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces brought the European conflict in World War II to a decisive end. America and many European countries declared May 8 as V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. V-E Day deserves far more attention, if only to serve as a reminder of the largely untold chapter of the Jewish contribution to the war against Hitler. According to Yad Vashem, 1.5 million Jews fought on behalf of the Allied forces in World War II, with 500,000 serving in the Soviet Red Army, 550,000 in the U.S. Armed Forces, and 30,000 in the British Armed Forces, including units such as the Jewish Brigade, which consisted of volunteers from pre-state Israel. Another 100,000 Jews fought in the Polish army against the German invasion in September 1939. An estimated 250,000 Jewish soldiers gave their lives in the war. 120,000 Jewish servicemen in the Red Army were killed in the line of duty and another 80,000 were captured and murdered by the Germans as prisoners of war. 10,000 American Jewish soldiers died fighting Hitler, and 30,000 Polish Jews either "fell in battle, were taken captive by the Germans or declared missing during the battles defending Poland," said Yad Vashem.
2020-05-08 00:00:00
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