'Beckman...pays tribute to a band of men whose story deserves to be told.' - Camden New Journal
In 1944, with the backing of Winston Churchill, the first Jewish Infantry Brigade of the British Army was formed. It finally gave Jews from all over the world a chance to fight the Nazis under the flag of the Star of David.
When the Brigade joined battle with crack German divisions in Italy, its members already knew the fate of so many of their race and families. Determined to take revenge, they fought the enemy with extraordinary courage and tenacity, constantly advancing and inflicting many more casualties than they suffered in return.
At the end of the war the Brigade had a very different agenda from the British Government's, one that was determined more by hatred and justice and Tel Aviv. In secret and without official sanction, 'revenge squads' hunted down and killed up to 1500 high ranking Nazis. Meanwhile, the Brigade helped thousands of Holocaust survivors to find passage to Palestine. Not only did the Brigade give Jews a pride in its achievements and hope for the future, but it became the backbone of the Israeli Defense Force, providing it with 35 generals.