Serbian Jews in World War One

Povodom stogodišnjice od početka Prvog svetskog rata, Jevrejski istorijski muzej u Beogradu priredio je izložbu pod jednostavnim nazivom „Jevreji Srbije u Prvom svetskom ratu“ i posvetio je svim srpskim Jevrejima, muškarcima i ženama, koji su kao ratnici ili medicinsko osoblje učestvovali u svim ratovima za slobodu Srbije 1912-1918. godine. Jevreji toga doba nazivali su sebe „Srbi Mojsijeve vere“. Učestvovali su u svim ratovima od 1912. do 1918. kada se, najzad, završio Veliki rat, a naša zemlja ostala bez milion i više ljudi. Jevreji Srbije, i muškarci i žene, bili su izvanredno časni i hrabri ratnici, i požrtvovani lekari i bolničari. Tokom Prvog svetskog rata, srbijanski Jevreji su dali veliki doprinos oslobođenju i ujedinjenju, podnoseći zajedno sa ostalim stanovnicima Srbije velike žrtve, na frontu i u njegovoj pozadini. Osim na bojištu i od zadobijenih rana i bolesti, oni su stradali i u austrougarskim logorima. U predratnoj Srbiji je živelo između 6 i 7 hiljada Jevreja od kojih je oko 600 učestvovalo u ratu. Nekoliko stotina je ranjeno, blizu 150 ih je poginulo, stotine su ostali invalidi. Za ispoljenu hrabrost u borbama, brojni među njima su dobili odlikovanja. Jevrejska hrabrost i stradanja u borbi za oslobođenje su učvrstili njihovu integrisanost i ugled u srpskoj sredini, o čemu svedoči impresivan spomenik na ulazu u Jevrejsko (sefardsko) groblje u Beogradu. Jevreji su delili naglašeno nacionalno i patriotsko osećanje sa ostalim stanovnicima Srbije. Ideale omladine tog doba, kojoj je i sama svim svojim bićem pripadala, Paulina Lebl-Albala je izrazila na sledeći način: ״Mi smo bili svesni da je našem naraštaju pala u deo čast i dužnost da bude izvršilac Kosovskog amaneta”. Prilikom ulaska srpske vojske u oslobođeni Beograd, 1. novembra 1918, na Terazijama su osloboidioce dočekale članice Odbora beogradskih gospođica i, uz pesmu Beogradskog i Srpsko-jevrejskog pevačkog društva, predale pukovniku Milojeviću srebrni pehar. Na svečanom dočeku regenta Aleksandra, pet dana kasnije, srpsku himnu su otpevali Pevačko društvo Stanković i Srpsko-jevrejsko pevačko društvo.On the occasion of one hundred years of the beginning of World War One, the Jewish Historical Museum is staging this exhibition simply titled „Serbian Jews in World War One“ and dedicating it to all Serbian Jews, men, and women, as warriors ог health саге workers, in all wars for the liberation of Serbia in the period 1912-1918. Jews of that time called themselves „Serbs of Moses’ religion“. They took part in all the wars in the period from 1912 to 1918 when the Great War finally ended, and our country lost more than a million and a half of its people. Jews and Serbs, men and women, were exceptionally honorable and courageous warriors, and dedicated doctors and nurses. During World War One Serbian Jews made a significant contribution to liberation and unification, bearing along with other citizens of Serbia the great losses, along the front lines and in the background. Except on the battlefield and from sustained wounds and disease, they also perished in Austria-Hungarian camps. The number of Jews living in pre-war Serbia was between six and seven thousand, of which about 600 took part in the war. Several hundred were wounded, almost 150 killed, hundreds disabled. Маny among them were decorated for the courage they demonstrated. Jewish courage and persecution in the fight for liberation strengthened their position and integration and reputation among the Serbs and this is evidenced by the monument at the entrance to the Jewish (Sephardic) cemetery in Belgrade. Jews shared a strong national and patriotic feeling with other citizens of Serbia. The ideals of the youth of that time, the youth to which she herself belonged, were described by Paulina Lebl-Albala as follows: “We were aware that our generation had the honor and the duty to live up to the Kosovo legacy”. When the Serbian Аrmy was entering Belgrade on 1 November 1918 the liberators were welcomed at the Terazije Square by members of the Committee of Belgrade Ladies and with the signing of the Belgrade and Serbian-Jewish Singing Society, who handed colonel Milojević a silver cup. At the welcoming сеremonу for the Prince Regent Aleksandar five days later the Serbian national anthem was sung by the Singing Society Stanković and the Serbian-Jewish Singing Society.Povodom stogodišnjice od početka Prvog svetskog rata, Jevrejski istorijski muzej u Beogradu priredio je izložbu "Jevreji Srbije u Prvom svetskom ratu" (On the occasion of the hundred years of the beginning of the First World War, the Jewish Historical Museum in Belgrade organized an exhibition "Serbian Jews in World War One").Drugo izdanje (second edition).Tekst na srpskom i engleskom jeziku (text in Serbian and English)