Israel Goldstein

Corporal Israel Goldstein, Company D, 759th Tank Battalion, U.S. Army.

Corporal Isadore “Israel” Goldstein was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1914 to Samuel and Bertha Goldstein. His family came to Camden, New Jersey in the 1920s. They lived at 1433 Princess Avenue in Parkside, and later at 2578 Baird Boulevard, between Marlton Avenue and Federal Street in East Camden.

This block was the home of many prominent Camden citizens, including lawyers Leon Mickleman, Joseph Varbalow, and Edward V. Martino; and businessmen such as Daniel Gottlieb, Nicholas Bantivoglio, Leon Cooperson, Isadore Borstein, Samuel Varbalow, Ellis Goodman, and David Plasky, among others.

After attending Camden High School for one year, Israel Goldstein left to work in the leather business with his father. Their business was known as the Imperial Gold & Silver Kid Company and was located at 100 West Nicholson Road in Audubon, New Jersey.

Israel Goldstein was inducted into the United States Army on August 12, 1941, at Trenton, New Jersey. He was assigned to the 759th Light Tank Battalion, which served in Iceland, Normandy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

The 759th Light Tank Battalion had been activated on June 1, 1941, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth C. Althaus. The unit was stationed in Iceland for eleven months and finally shipped to the United Kingdom in August of 1943. The 759th landed in Normandy on June 16, 1944, and was committed, attached to the 2nd Infantry Division. From August 21, 1944, until the end of the war, the 759th was attached to the 4th Cavalry Group.

The 759th passed through Chartres and crossed the Seine on August 26, 1944; then crossed the Meuse River at Dinant and liberated Celles, Rauersim, Stavelot, and Malmedy, before entering Germany on September 13, 1944. The 759th was ordered into the Ardennes in response to the German offensive in December of 1944, then spent early 1945 in defensive positions or out of the line. Returning to action, the 759th reached the Rhine River on March 5, 1945, at Zons. During the final month of the war, the 759th captured a series of towns in Germany in April of 1945, ending the month in Aschersleben, Germany, where occupation duty began.

Corporal Goldstein was killed in action on April 5, 1945, at Nassau, Germany, while saving the lives of 21 other soldiers. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

In the summer of 1948, Israel Goldstein came home. He was buried at Montefiore Cemetery in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Military Services For Camden Hero

Camden Courier-Post, August 13, 1948

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Military Services For Camden Hero Services for Cpl. Isadore "Israel" Goldstein, 29, will be held Sunday at 11 a. m. in the funeral home of David B. Berschler, 1401 Princess avenue. Rabbi Harry S. Kellman, of Beth El Synagogue, will officiate. Burial will be in Montefiore cemetery, Fox Chase. Military rites will be conducted by four veteran's organizations, with participation by all the veteran groups of the county. The four posts, all members of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, are Joseph W. Wolf post 315, Burlington, Milton Kushel, commander; John F. Furer post 126, Camden, Fred Oberlander, commander; Herbert M. Barag post 539, Camden, Martin Margolet, commander, and Glickman-Frost-Cummings post 604, Gloucester county. Veterans taking part will be William Lipkin, senior vice commander department of New Jersey, JWV; Samuel W. Strauss, vice commander of the Fifth district, state JWV; Sidney W. Bookbinder, of Burlington, national executive committeeman of the JWV. Also William Amberg, Camden county American Legion commander; Jack Heidenthal, Camden county VFW commander; Harry J. Stone, commander of August F. Walters chapter 8, DAV, and Harry Harrold, Camden county commander of the Army-Navy Union. Taps will be blown by Raymond Levine, a friend of Corporal Goldstein. Corporal Goldstein was killed in action April 3, 1945, at Nassau, Germany. He was a member of Company D, a machinegun unit, and lost his life saving 21 other soldiers. He was awarded a Silver Star posthumously, given to his father, Samuel. He went into service in August, 1940, had his basic training at Camp Croft, S.C., and went to Iceland in 1941. He served in Iceland, England, Normandy, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. He also was winner of Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. Born in Philadelphia, he lived in Camden 20 years at 1433 Princess avenue and 2578 Baird boulevard. He attended the Camden High school. When he went into service he was associated with his father in the leather concern of Imperial Gold and Silver Kid Co., Camden. Also surviving are two brothers, Jacob and Harry, and two sisters, Mrs. Fay Steinberg, Camden, and Mrs. Sadie Kesselman, Pennsauken.