Volunteers Needed to Save Jewish Stories of The First World War
In an eclectic collection of archives, stories of the British Jews who fought and died in the First World War, lay buried on some forgotten bookshelves in attics and are at risk of being lost forever. A new Lottery Heritage project is in a race against time to salvage these stories, restore them to where they belong and ensure that contributions made by British Jews are preserved forever.
Join our partner organisation, We Were There Too, funded by the Heritage Lottery Foundation, in unearthing what happened to the thousands of British Jews of the First World War. Take on the mitzvah of uncovering and piecing together the stories of soldiers, their wives and their families, live the war through their eyes, and help future generations to experience the sacrifices made by our own families across the British Jewish community.
Sign up to this national project through evolve, JLGB’s youth volunteering and skills initiative, become a trained archive volunteer and ensure that the sacrifice of the Jews of the First World War is remembered eternally.
We Were There Too has undertaken the enormous task of establishing an online archive detailing the lives of British Jews who fought and died during the great War and to remind the world that the Jews were there too.
This is achieved through retrieving life stories and immortalising every Jewish soldier, including the 535 JLB members and leaders killed in the First World War. This is why we need your help to ensure these courageous men did not die in vain. Revive the stories of the Jewish contribution to the war effort and prevent them from becoming lost forever.
This project aims to widen the window into the past and beckons Jewish people to tell the world their own tales. We Were There Too have been overwhelmed and amazed by the children and grandchildren who have already come forward, harbouring some unknown relic from the First World War, which has been passed down through their families. These stories are gems to this vital project and the team encourage anyone with family members involved in the First World War to share their story by contacting We Were There Too directly - contactus@jewsfww.london
In their continued dedication to commemorating the Jewish lives that were lost during the First World War, this week the We Were There Too project hosted a ‘Last Post Ceremony’ at the Menin Gate of Ypres. There, they commemorated the British Jewish soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War. The solemn bugle calls played by young JLGB leader, Jack Sanders reverberated through the cemeteries and battlefields as Magen David wreaths were laid.
To help JLGB and We Were There Too uncover the stories of JLB soldiers killed in the First World War, please email evolve@jlgb.org
