The Great War Letters of German and Austrian Jews

Available in English for the first time, we read the heart-warming, moving and intensely personal letters that the young soldiers wrote home from the battlefield during the First World War. The uniquely Jewish viewpoint they express, and the strong traditional elements in their religion, bring the conflict between the inhumane war, and religious belief into sharp contrast. The young men's attempts to adhere to their faith and rituals during the violent horror of trench warfare are touching, and often tinged with self-deprecating humour. The immense pain, the keenly-felt loss of comrades and a yearning for home and loved ones shine through the soldiers’ words One great leitmotiv runs through the letters: the hope for equality. The war letters are a unique insight into life, battle and death on the enemy front lines, and the extraordinary Jewish experience in particular.