Britain to replace crosses for 3 Jewish Canadians killed in WWII

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirmed Friday that it has ordered new gravestones with Stars of David on them for three Jewish Canadians killed in France during the Second World War. The graves of Trooper Archie Adelman, 24, of Montreal, Lieutenant Jules Freedman, 24, of Toronto, and Flying Officer Mortimer “Max” Sucharov, 29, of Winnipeg, are in the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, south of Caen, France.

The trio will have their tombstones replaced with the right religious symbol, according to David Avery, commemoration officer for the CWGC.

“I have heard back regarding the ground check at Bretteville and can confirm that three casualties who should have the Star of David are currently incorrect showing crosses,” Avery wrote in an email.

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Story of Morley Ornstein resonates with student

A Vancouver college student has discovered that he has a lot in common with a Canadian RCAF airman who was killed during the Second World War. This past Remembrance Day, Sam Wise was reading a news story about the international efforts to put a Star of David symbol on the grave of navigator Morley Ornstein, who was shot down over Germany in 1945. It was a name Wise knew.

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One Man’s Quest to get a Star of David on graves of 100 Jews KIA

It’s taken 10 months of detective work by Canadian and international genealogy sleuths to reveal a happy conclusion in the case of a downed Canadian WWII RCAF airman, Morley Ornstein. What better timing for this to happen than on the same month, 78 years ago, when Ornstein enlisted in the air force in October 1942. After he turned 18, Ornstein, a graduate of Harbord Collegiate in Toronto, joined up.

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