Set within the magnitude of the second world war and its aftermath, In Our Own Hands: The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II reveals the secret history of the only all-Jewish fighting unit in World War II. Combining the best impulses of "Schindler's List" with the bold antics of "The Dirty Dozen," In Our Own Hands introduces audiences to this unique band of soldiers through historical footage and unforgettable interviews, and offers viewers interested in general and/or Jewish history, as well as WWII buffs, a compelling story of courage and intrigue, revenge and repatriation, survival and hope.

Like the famed black Tuskegee Airmen and the much-decorated Japanese-American 442nd infantry, the Jewish Brigade - young volunteers from what was then Palestine - had to overcome great prejudice just to be allowed to fight in the British army as Jews. The impact that an all-Jewish fighting unit had on European Jewry, both during and especially after the war, is powerfully captured in the film by Holocaust survivor Lisa Derman: "We cried. We screamed. We jumped. We kissed one another. Can you imagine, from the ghettos and the fires, to see Jewish soldiers?"

After its battles are over, where most World War II stories end, the story of the Jewish Brigade truly begins. Fueled by anger at the horrors of the Holocaust, one of the Brigade's first acts is to form secret vengeance squads to assassinate Nazi officers in hiding. But when Brigade members see the unthinkable, that Jewish people do not have homes to return to and that they are living, once again, within fenced camps, the Brigade's paramount mission becomes clear.

This remarkable story of heroism and imagination unfolds as Brigade soldiers mastermind one clandestine operation after another in their attempt to engineer the rescue and movement of Holocaust survivors out of the Displaced Persons camps of Europe, and eventually toward a homeland of their own. Veteran Hanoch Bartov recalls in the film: "We came as an angel of life to the Jewish people. Soldiers are supposed to fight, kill or be killed. And what we did as soldiers, we found dead people and we helped them to go back to life."

In Our Own Hands: The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in WWII is a story of uncommon humanity and hope reborn in the aftermath of the Holocaust. It was recently selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Documentary Screening Committee as part of their prestigious series of outstanding documentaries. In Our Own Hands is produced by Chuck Olin Associates and presented by KQED. Executive Producer is Chuck Olin.

Format: Closed Captioned, Stereo