A report on the Jewish National Battalion, a specifically Jewish military unit in the Soviet army, is published in the “Emess”, which is the patron of the Battalion in connection with the celebrations which were held on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Red Army.
The commander and political leader of the Battalion narrates that on learning of the shortage of workers in Kalinindorf during harvest, he ordered his battalion to proceed to the fields to help in harvesting and threshing the corn in time, and that the Jewish Battalion will also participate in the forthcoming sowing season. “We shall prove,” the commander declared, “that Jews can be good soldiers and good peasants.” In the report of the activities of the Battalion it is stated that it secured distinction in shooting during the Red Army inspection, as a result of which many Jewish soldiers were permitted to leave the army before their time was up, while others were also awarded special prizes.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
