Jewish Soldiers in the Allied Armies

Approximately 1.5 million Jews, including special units of Jews from Eretz Israel serving in the British Army, fought in the Allied armies and contributed to the defeat of the Nazis and their allies.
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Mandatory Palestine, the parachutist Hannah Szenes in uniform

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 122B09

Polina Gelman, a Jewish soldier who served in the Red Army and was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 3473/85

Boris Boltaks, the Jewish commander of Brigade 312 in the Red Army, whose unit stopped the German advance outside of Valday

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 4549/2

A Jewish fighter in the Red Army: Levsei (Joshua) Weinrob

Testimony of Jewish Brigade fighter David ben David

Jewish RAF Veteran Testimony - Martin Hauser

The story of Reuven Dafni: A Jewish Paratrooper in WWII

Jewish fighter in Red Army describes his WWII experiences

Coat belonging to Ze’ev Ben Yehuda, a soldier in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade

Some 30,000 Jews from Eretz Israel volunteered to join the British army during World War II. In September 1944, a brigade of 5000 Jewish soldiers from Eretz Israel was established within the British Army. These soldiers fought in battles in Italy and helped bring about Germany’s surrender. After the war, the soldiers assisted the Jewish refugees they encountered in different parts of Europe.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection

Identifying tag and pin belonging to Shmuel Gafni, a soldier in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade

Shmuel immigrated to Eretz Israel from Lithuania before the war broke out, and enlisted in order to fight the Nazis.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Donated by Leah Prais, Petach Tikva, Israel

Armband worn by Shmuel Gafni, a soldier in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade

Gafni immigrated to Eretz Israel from Lithuania before the war, together with his sister Nocha. There, they joined their older sister Yehudit, a member of Kibbutz Mishmarot, who had immigrated in 1932. After the war, Gafni searched for his sister Chana, who had remained in Lithuania. Chana survived and immigrated to Eretz Israel.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Donated by Leah Prais, Petach Tikva

Handkerchief belonging to Shmuel Gafni, a soldier in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade

Shmuel immigrated to Eretz Israel from Lithuania before the war broke out, and enlisted in order to fight the Nazis.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Donated by Leah Prais, Petach Tikva, Israel

The “Order of the Red Star” awarded to Benjamin Cherny for extraordinary valor in defense of the Soviet Union

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Gift of Alla & Alex Goldman

The Medals and military ribbons received by Joseph Katanov for his service in the Red Army during WWII

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Gift of Izik and Ahuva Katanov, Dimona, Israel

Prayer shawl and Prayer book found at Majdanek by Moshe Lersky.

Lersky joined one of the Polish units in the Red Army, and participated in the liberation of the Majdanek death camp. On entering the camp, Lersky came face to face with the horrors of the extermination of his fellow Jews. Discovering a prayer shawl and prayer book that had belonged to one of the victims on a pile of clothes, he took them, preserving them among his belongings.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection.
Donated by Moshe Lersky, Israel

Telegrams between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt Concerning the Establishment of the Jewish Brigade

Expressions of Heroism by Jewish Soldiers in the American Armed Forces

Approximately 1.5 million Jews fought in the regular Allied armies. In many cases the percentage of Jews fighting was greater than the percentage of Jews in the population.

About 500,000 Jewish soldiers fought in the Red Army during World War II. Some 120,000 were killed in combat and in the line of duty; the Germans murdered 80,000 as prisoners of war. More than 160,000, at all levels of command, earned citations, with over 150 designated “Heroes of the Soviet Union”— the highest honor awarded to soldiers in the Red Army.

Approximately 550,000 Jewish soldiers fought in the US Armed Forces during World War II. They served on all fronts in Europe and in the Pacific. Some 10,000 were killed in combat, and more than 36,000 received citations. Many Jewish soldiers took part in liberating the camps.

Approximately 100,000 Jews fought in the Polish army against the German invasion. They made up 10% of the Polish army, commensurate with the percentage of Jews within the general population. Approximately 30,000 Jews fell in battle, were taken captive by the Germans, or declared missing during the battles defending Poland, 11,000 in the defense of Warsaw. Thousands of Jews later served in various Polish armies fighting against the Germans in the Allied Forces.

About 30,000 Jews served in the British army in 1939-1946, some in special units of Jews from Palestine, such as the Jewish Brigade.

Jewish Soldiers in the Allied Armies

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