We Are Coming, Unafraid: The Jewish Legions and the Promised Land in the First World WarThis book tells the little-known stories of three all-Jewish battalions formed in the British army as part of the Allies' Middle East campaign, recruiting soldiers from the United States, Canada, England, and Argentina. Many of the soldiers, ranging widely in education level, social class, and combat experience, were displaced immigrants or children of such immigrants. Together, they coalesced into the all-Jewish battalions: "the liberators of the Promised Land." The ranks of the Jewish Legions included some who would become prominent leaders, such as David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Israel's second president; however, this book focuses on the experiences of ordinary soldiers who served alongside them. Drawing on diaries, memoirs, and letters, the book follows their journey at sea through unrestricted submarine warfare; by trains and trucks through Europe, Egypt, and Palestine; and their battlefield experiences. The authors show how these Yiddish-speaking young men forged a new kind of soldier identity with unique Jewish features, as well as an evolving sense of nationalism. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Ch02 Leaving Home | 17 |
Ch03 In Distant Lands | 25 |
Ch04 To the Front | 51 |
Ch05 On Bravery | 71 |
Ch06 Hope and Disenchantment | 77 |
Ch07 The Chaplain | 107 |
Ch08 An Aristocrat of Sorts | 123 |
Other editions - View all
We are Coming, Unafraid: The Jewish Legions and the Promised Land in the ... Michael Keren,Shlomit Keren No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
38th Battalion 40th Fusiliers Alexandria already American Arabs arrived asked Aviv battle began Berezin biblical boys British army called camp chaplain Colonel comrades demobilization desert diarist diary drill Egypt England English Falk feel felt fight friends go to Palestine greeted guard happy Hatikvah Hebrew holiday Ibid immigrants Jabotinsky Jaffa Jerusalem Jewish battalion Jewish Legions Jewish national Jewish soldiers Jews Jordan journey land of Israel Legionnaires Legions House letter Liss live London looked Maccabean marched memoir morning Myer night o’clock officers one’s Palestine Palestinian parade Passover Plymouth pogrom prisoners Promised Land Quantara Rabbi recruits religious Rishon Lezion Rosh Hashanah Russian sand served ship singing sleep soon Star of David submarines synagogue Tel Aviv tents things told took Torah train Translator’s Note Turkish Turks University Press volunteers walked World World Zionist Organization write wrote Yiddish York young Zilberman Zion Zionist