Jewish families have long privately held a special affinity for their ancestors who have served in the U.S. military. While stories of American heroism on the battlefield fill magazines, books and Hollywood films, the courageous contributions of more than a million Jewish service members who defended the United States since its founding remain largely untold, and their memories risk fading from public view.
To redress this lapse in our collective memory, the Aleph Institute has launched the Wall of Heroes, an unprecedented tribute to the Jewish veterans who risked everything to protect our freedom. This interactive yahrzeit wall allows families to publicly post pictures and information about their veterans, so the world can discover and memorialize their names, faces and untold stories—ensuring their service will be eternally remembered.
“Many Jewish service members were as devoted to their religion as they were to their country,” says Chaplain Maj. Elie Estrin, Aleph’s military personnel liaison. “Our goal is to record their stories of sacrifice, so that future generations can be inspired by them.”
Miriam Karp’s father, Lt. Jack Driker, served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. “Growing up, I always loved the handsome portrait of my dad in his dress whites, but I never really understood the level of fortitude and dedication it took for him to give years of his life in service, and the challenges he faced as a Jew,” she says.
With the Wall of Heroes site, Karp now has the ability to post her father’s reflections on his time in the service, which she received after his passing, and share the material with her children and grandchildren. “It is truly meaningful to memorialize his service in such a way that my entire family can easily access and share the information.”
World War II Air Force bombardier 2nd Lt. Morris Friedman was killed in action during a bombing raid over Germany, while on his 34th wartime mission. He never met his infant son, who eventually also served in the Army. “My grandfather has a heroic legacy in our family,” says Abraham Friedman. “I am excited to take the information we know about his service and present it on the Wall of Heroes so his memory is no longer just a name on a list but an interactive and living memorial on the internet, for our own family and others to appreciate.”
To memorialize a veteran in your family, with the option of requesting that the Kaddish prayer be recited on their yahrzeit, submit a profile here.
