Veterans of War

At 3 Generations we have been recording Veterans’ stories since 2011. We believe it’s important to highlight the mental and psychological trauma from war that Soldiers and Veterans face. Along with physical injury it is the leading hardship they deal with and can leave many lasting scars once they have returned home.

We recently reported that we are working on a new short film, A Kaddish for Selim. The film tells the story of a Jewish Soldier who fought and died for England in WW1. 3 Generations’ Founder and Filmmaker Jane Wells decided to tell the story of her uncle, Selim, after discovering family photographs and a handful of letters that are more than 100 years old. The documentary tells not only the personal story of her family but also the more universal tale of a child of immigrants who fights and dies for their adopted country.

The film is now in post-production. We are also in the process of submitting it to film festivals. We will have lots more to share about it in the months ahead. You can view the trailer for A Kaddish for Selim here. 

For more information about this film and how you can support it, and all of our other work please visit our website, 3generations.org.

At 3 Generations we record the experiences of soldiers and veterans for posterity. Providing avenues to share stories honors those who have defended our nation, fosters the healing process for those who are struggling, and inspires all of us to support our soldiers and returning veterans now and always. We think it’s important to highlight PTSD and the trauma of war for soldiers and veterans as one of the leading hardships confronting them. 

Now that the pandemic is almost over we have been able to return to work on a new short film, A Kaddish for Selim. Assembled from recently discovered family photographs and a handful of letters, this documentary tells the story of a child of immigrants who died for their adopted country. In 1912, a young Jewish man in London had to change his name to join the British army. When World War I broke out in 1914, he was sent to Egypt and then Gallipoli to fight for King and Empire. A story that is all too familiar today: for what clearer sign of assimilation and loyalty is there than to volunteer to fight for one’s country? The challenges Jewish people faced in Britain a century ago were a friction point in the First World War, yet many did serve and A Kaddish for Selim tells the story of one of the over 2000 who died.

We will have lots more to share about this film in the months ahead, we are excited to get back to work especially on this core issue. For more information about all our work please visit our website, 3generations.org.