The redemption of the tombstone: 50 years later, the cross was replaced with a Star of David

Rabbi Avraham Richter, a Chabad Hasid from New York who serves as a federal prison rabbi, was astonished to discover that his relative - a soldier from World War II - is buried under a tombstone engraved with a cross, the collive website reported.

After some difficult efforts and detective work, the rabbi succeeded in replacing the tombstone with one that would bear the Jewish Star of David symbol.

The story began with a random request, one of many that reached Rabbi Dichter, in which he was asked - via e-mail - to translate an inscription on a tombstone from Hebrew to English. The Rabbi, of course, happily agreed.

The help he provided prompted him to search the Internet for his deceased relatives, one of whom was Henry Dienstein – his grandmother’s cousin. Rabbi Dichter did not know the man, but was able to find his burial site.

He was astonished to discover that he was buried in a military cemetery in Milwaukee, with a cross engraved on his tombstone.

Only after fifty years

Rabbi Dichter thought he was dreaming, and first checked to see if it was indeed his relative Henry. After verifying his identity using identical death dates and documents, he contacted the American military and asked to change the tombstone.

But there was the answer: "During the first fifty years after death, no change should be made to the status of military veterans.".

The date on the plaque showed that fifty years would pass in three weeks, as Henry, who fought in World War II, died on June 17, 1964.

Rabbi Dichter sent the request again, but was told that the cross on the headstone was carved at the request of one of the family members - John, the brother of the deceased, and in any case, a change to the inscription on the headstone must be made by a closer relative.

Thanks to a little detective work, Rabbi Dichter was able to reach Uncle John's adult daughter. She was surprised to hear the US Department of Defense claim and said that her father never asked for Henry to be buried with a cross. Moreover, she remembers that the funeral service was conducted by a Jewish rabbi.

And you returned each to his own estate.

The rabbi again contacted the American military's department of deceased, and on June 5, he finally received the long-awaited message: "The military cemetery management has approved replacing the old tombstone with a new one engraved with a Jewish Star of David.".

""But the most amazing thing," says Rabbi Dichter, "is that the tombstone was replaced on the 7th of Tammuz, which is the Hebrew date for Uncle Henry's Yahrzeit on the fiftieth anniversary of his passing.".

""The new tombstone is the embodiment of the verse in Parashat Behar, 'In this year of jubilee, each man shall return to his estate,'" concludes Rabbi Dichter.

Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>

Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>

Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>