Aron Heller

Finally, a book has arrived that gives these Jewish soldiers the long overdue, yet never fully recognized, respect that they so rightfully deserve. The author’s intimate journey with his Zaidy, and many others like him, carries forward a powerful message of pride and the Jewish mantra to make this world a better place for all people.

In this fascinating historical dive, Aron Heller uses his years of journalistic experience on his own family, skillfully unraveling the untold stories of Canadian boys thrown into the most horrific days of the twentieth century. Zaidy’s Band is a dramatic portrait of a dark time, and of a few ordinary men who helped save the world and didn’t want to talk about it.

Zaidy’s Band is a personal odyssey, an investigative tour de force, and a window into a vanishing era—but most of all, it’s a set of engaging and deftly told stories whose themes resonate all too clearly in today’s world.

With the skill of a journalist and the warmth of a grandson, Aron Heller has written a tender portrait of a man and his band of brothers – Jewish men who fought for the allies in World War II. For me, this book was not only an excellent history lesson but also a poignant reminder to learn from those we love while we still have them in our lives.

In this lucid, informative and deeply honest book, Aron Heller tells the Canadian version of the Jews of the Greatest Generation. Heller may have started with the narrower mission of discovering the wartime experiences of his beloved yet evasive grandfather Mickey, but in the end this author paints a broader portrait of valor and purpose by tens of thousands of Canadian Jewish soldiers.

In this moving account of his search for his grandfather’s World War II past, Aron Heller ponders the gaps in his knowledge about his Zaidy’s history. How well do we know our own kin? And what do we know exactly? Piecing together shards of information, a key issue surfaces, all too relevant today: the deep patriotism of minority group members – so deep that it prompts them to take up arms.

With humor, wit, and pathos, Heller tells a largely unknown story of Jewish heroism in the air in the struggle to defeat Nazism. In these times, it is a story that is well worth repeating.

Beautifully written and illustrated with rare photographs and documents, Aron Heller’s book unfolds into a powerful exploration of forgotten heroes: the Jewish soldiers and officers who fought in World War II. With the curiosity and rigor of an investigative journalist, Heller retraces the lives of his grandfather and his comrades: their service, their friendships, and their enduring role in building and sustaining peace. This is history at its finest: rooted in human stories yet illuminating a broader historical narrative.