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Olin Film Archive

A guide to the Chuck Olin Film Archive, part of which has been digitized by the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library at the University of Illinois.

First-hand Accounts from the Jewish Brigade

This collection consists of production elements from two PBS-broadcast documentaries, " In Our Own Hands: The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II," and " Is Jerusalem Burning? Myth, Memory and the Battle of Latrun." Both films, relying primarily on first-person accounts, tell the story of critical episodes in the formation of the nation-state of Israel.

Chuck Olin, filmmaker from Chicago, spent over twenty-five years producing and directing documentaries across a wide-range of subject areas while also producing special project films for corporate, healthcare, educational and institutional clients.

Officially formed in 1944, the Jewish Brigade was a division of the British Army during World War II. Originally comprised primarily of Middle Eastern Jewish men, the brigade eventually expanded to include non-Jewish men from over fifty countries.

Meet some of the men that made up this incredible group and hear, first-hand, their stories.

Contact Us

History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library
246 Main Library
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801

Website: https://www.library.illinois.edu/hpnl/
Email: hpnl@library.illinois.edu
Phone: 217-333-1509

Credits

Guide created November 17, 2016. Last updated July 1, 2025.