1.5 million Jews fought Hitler

Jewish Post
Red Army veteran Shalom Scopas defies his 85 years as he dashes about the m=
ini-museum of World War II memorabilia he has created in the basement of hi=
s Holon home. His bright blue eyes sparking with pride, he points out rows =
of medals, sepia snapshots of himself as a dashing young man in his smart S=
oviet uniform, and letters of gratitude from Russian President Dmitry Medve=
dev and former president Vladimir Putin.

Scopas is one of half a million Soviet Jews who joined the Red Army to figh=
t against the Nazis. Forty percent of these Jewish recruits died in battle,=
the highest percentage of all the USSR=E2=80=99s ethnic groups.

Soviet Jews were not the only ones to join the fight against the Nazis. One=
and a half million Jews from all over the world fought in World War II, in=
cluding 150,000 women. A quarter million of these Jewish fighters fell in b=
attle.

=E2=80=9CYet most Israelis, especially young people, don=E2=80=99t know tha=
t so many Jews stood up and fought Hitler and Nazism,=E2=80=9D says Scopas.=
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s very sad.=E2=80=9D