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May 9, 2003
Remembrance of V-Day
Jews of the former Soviet Union fought for freedom.
YURIY RUBIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
V-Day, May 9, is an unforgettable date for all those who lived
through the terrible years of the Second World War. "It is
a holiday with tears," as is sung in a popular song. We mourn
all those lost in battle and honor their courage. This article is
written in memory of 198,000 Jews who were killed on the battlefields
and more than 1.5 million people who were tortured in the concentration
camps.
There were 501,000 Jews in the Red Army (Soviet) from 1941 until
1945. Among them, 167,000 were officers, 334,000 soldiers and sailors.
More than 49,000 Jews fought in the partisan detachments.
About 170,000 Jews were decorated with medals and orders, 127 Jews
received the highest award – Hero of the Soviet Union. Col.
David Dragunsky was awarded twice. The pilot of flight bomber Polina
Gelman, who received the highest award, made 860 night airflight
dropping 100 tons of small bombs on the enemies.
However, not all heroes received their awards. Abram Levin was one
of them. He acted as a human shield on Feb. 22, 1942. Israel Lapidus,
the commander of the partisan detachment, destroyed 23 echelons
of military equipment and soldiers.
During the war, Jewish officers and generals commanded 125 corps
division and 130 regiments. Before the war, there were only 26 Jewish
generals in the Red (Soviet) Army. During the wars 171 Jews obtained
the rank of general and commanded military operations.
Besides that, two partisan brigades, 36 detachments and 13 investigating-subversive
groups were commanded by Jews. The following people were popular
as military leaders: Yakov Dashevsky, Yakov Kreizer, Lev Skirsky,
Illia Pruss and Gregory Stelmakh.
Jewish engineers and scientists developed scientific inventions
that helped in the production of military progressive techniques.
Boris Vannikov was one of the main leaders of the war industry.
Gifted designers Michael Gurevich and Sem Lavochkin created fighters
that ensured Soviet aviation advantage. It is known that the best
guns were created by Alexander Nudelman. Isaac Zaltsman was the
director of the largest plant in Cheliabinsk where tanks were produced.
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish women and teenagers, who were evacuated
to the eastern regions, worked hard at industrial plants and on
the farms supplying the army with weapons and food. We are proud
of them.
Unfortunately, there were many people killed whom we were left to
mourn. Someone in every family has died on the battlefields or was
tortured in the torture-chambers.
The Most-Bridge Russian Jewish Seniors Society consists of more
than 100 citizens of the former Soviet Union, among us there are
veterans of the war, who worked in industry, in hospitals and on
farms, and those who survived the blockade in Leningrad, as well
as the fascist occupation.
We express our gratitude to the participants of the battles, members
of our society: Yakov Chudnovsky, Grigory Green, Zakhar Iosfin,
Anatoly Jarov, Josef Kabanovsky, Alexander Kaganov, Eli Lechman,
Yefim Levitsky, Leonid Maizel, Rafail Metlitsky, Anna Tokar, Grigory
Voiler and Grigory Zazkis.
Every day, every hour they risked their lives for victory over fascism.
Salute and glory!
This article was written by Yuriy Rubin, translated
by Tamara Vergeles and edited by Dina Orloff
of the Jewish Family Service Agency. Rubin is vice-president
of the Most-Bridge Russian Jewish Seniors Society (Vancouver).
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