Hundreds of Jewish American soldiers who gave their lives in World War I and World War II were buried under crosses instead of Stars of David. On Nov. 6 at 11 a.m., the Mirowitz Center will host historian Shalom Lamm for a free, virtual program about the sacred work of Operation Benjamin, the organization correcting those mistakes and restoring the fallen soldiers’ Jewish identities.
It’s a story of loss, discovery and repair. Operation Benjamin’s work has taken researchers from Normandy to the Philippines, tracing records, families and faith to make sure Jewish soldiers rest beneath the right symbol. Among those stories are two that lead straight back to St. Louis.
The soldier behind the name
The “Benjamin” in Operation Benjamin is PFC Benjamin Garadetsky, a 30-year-old American soldier born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. He enlisted in New York City in 1941 and served with the Medical Department of the 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division.
Garadetsky was killed on Aug. 23, 1944, during a Luftwaffe aerial bombardment in the St. André combat area of France. He was buried at Normandy American Cemetery under a Latin cross, though he was Jewish. Decades later, his story inspired the founding of Operation Benjamin.
In 2018, after years of research and coordination with the American Battle Monuments Commission, his headstone was changed to a Star of David. The organization was named in his memory, and his family, who now live in St. Louis, became living proof of how one soldier’s story could spark a mission to honor hundreds more.
The sacred work of replacing crosses with Stars of David
Operation Benjamin was founded to find Jewish service members mistakenly buried under Christian crosses. Its researchers examine military and genealogical records, verify Jewish heritage, and work with the U.S. government to replace each cross with a Star of David.
For the organization, this is more than correction, it’s a mitzvah. In Jewish tradition, caring for the dead is a pure act of kindness because it can never be repaid. Each new Star of David carved in marble is both a symbol and a promise: that these soldiers’ faith will be remembered alongside their sacrifice.
Another hidden St. Louis connection
The organization’s quiet tie to St. Louis deepened in 2021 when research into the life of Pvt. Albert Belmont, a Jewish soldier killed in World War II led here to St. Louis. Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson (z’’l), then a board member of Operation Benjamin, had been studying Belmont’s case when he made an unexpected discovery.
Belmont was 33 when he was killed by shell fragments during the Battle of Metz on Nov. 30. Born in Brooklyn, he had enlisted in Missouri and served with the 378th Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry Division. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and buried at Lorraine American Cemetery in France, under a cross.
During his research, Ellenson discovered that Belmont’s daughter, Barbara, was a Facebook follower of Congregation Shaare Emeth, and was watching livestreamed services from her home in Virginia. He reached out to Rabbi James Bennett of Shaare Emeth, asking for help in contacting her.
Bennett located Barbara through Shaare Emeth’s community network and introduced her to Operation Benjamin. That introduction led to months of collaboration with researchers and, eventually, a 2022 rededication ceremony in France, where Belmont’s headstone was replaced with a Star of David.
Shortly after her birth, and her father’s death, Belmont’s mother, Ruth, settled in St. Louis, anchoring the story even more firmly in Missouri soil.
Why this Veterans Day program matters
As Veterans Day approaches, learning about Operation Benjamin’s work reminds us that remembrance doesn’t stop at memory. Sometimes it’s etched in stone, when a cross is gently replaced by a star.
The upcoming Mirowitz Center presentation, co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, Interfaith Partnership and Jewish War Veterans Post 644, offers a close look at this mission and the emotion behind it.
Attendees can participate in person or online, free with RSVP or call (314) 733-9813, or email [email protected].
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