Lives of the Great Patriotic War: The Untold Story of Jewish Soviet Soldiers in the Red Army During World War II

The Blavatnik Archive traveling exhibit, "Lives of the Great Patriotic War: The Untold Story of Jewish Soviet Soldiers in the Red Army During World War II," will be displayed at UVA's Nau Hall from March 23 through April 27, 2015.

Organized with the University of Virginia Jewish Studies Program.

Reception: March 23, 2015 - 4:00p, 2nd Floor exhibition space, Nau Hall, South Lawn, University of Virginia

Lives of the Great Patriotic War explores the unknown story of 500,000 Jewish soldiers who fought in the Soviet Armed forces against Nazi Germany during WWII (known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War).

While the unprecedented victimization of Jews during the Holocaust is well known and rigorously studied, the role of Jewish combatants in the conflict remains largely overlooked. As soldiers in the Soviet Red Army, these men and women fought in the war’s largest and most ethnically diverse military force (30 million), for the country with the heaviest absolute losses (over 26 million). As Jews, members of a group targeted for genocide, they survived the Holocaust and contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany. Lives of the Great Patriotic War highlights their unique and unforgettable experiences, while also situating their stories within the larger context of Soviet and Jewish history.

Accompanying the exhibit will be the Nir Family Series for Jewish Studies lecture, "The Worst of Times, the Best of Times: Soviet Jewish Veterans Remember WWII," by Zvi Gitelman, Tisch Professor of Judaic Studies, University Of Michigan.

Lecture: April 20, 2015 - 5:00p, Reception: 6:15p, Nau Lecture Hall 101

For more information visit the web-site

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