Synopsis

London 1912: A young Jew in London has to change his name to join the British army. When war breaks out in 1914, he is sent to Egypt and then Galliopli to fight for King and Empire.

Assembled from recently discovered family photographs and a handful of letters, this short film tells the story of a child of immigrants who died for their adopted country. 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 Jews 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 2000 who died.