In 1944, the Canadian Jewish Congress published “Jewish War Heroes”, a series of three comic booklets that were given away for free. Congress published these comics to combat the incorrect perception that the Canadian Jewish community was not doing its fair share in the war effort. This is issue number two.

In its eight pages, the comic shares the following stories:

• Montreal native Sydney Shulemson, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, commanded four squadrons (90 aircraft) that attacked German shipping along the coast of Northern Europe.
• Sergeant Barney Ross who was born in New York’s Lower East Side and was the undefeated world boxing champion, won the Silver Star Medal and the Presidential Citation for protecting three wounded comrades until help arrived.
• Acting Wing Commander Lionel Cohen, a veteran of the First World War, enlisted in the Royal Air Force making 45 operational flights and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross at age 69.
• Leo Frijda, a Dutch Jew, was executed by the Nazis for killing high-ranking Nazi officials.
• Major Lionel Wigram founded the system of army training used in Britain at the time and was killed in action in Italy.
• The number of Jews participating in the war included tens of thousands for the British Empire (which included 17,000 Canadians), 600,000 enlisted in the United States and 500,000 fighting for Russia. Special mention was made of the contribution of the Jews of Palestine to the war effort which included that “the Jewish university fought a war of science” and “the Jewish Brigade fought on the Western front.”
• The decorations won by Canadian Jews included 36 Distinguished Flying Crosses, five members of the Orders of the British Empire (Military) and 44 mentions in dispatches.

On Remembrance Day we remember not just the Jewish soldiers who sacrificed for the freedom that we now enjoy, but all of the men and women who fought and died for our benefit.

The fight for a world without hate and suffering continues. As John McCrae wrote in his poem In Flanders Fields (the source of the poppies we wear at this time of year):

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

                            In Flanders fields.

The torch has been thrown to us.

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