National Jewish Outreach Program

One of the challenges of being a Jew in the service is finding ways to be observant when stationed in a remote location. That remote location doesn’t necessarily have to be in someplace like Iraq or Afghanistan either. Sometimes it’s just as difficult to find a Jewish outlet in small bases stateside. In addition, being away from other Jews can make us “rusty” on our Jewish knowledge.

One resource to overcome this challenge is the National Jewish Outreach Program. The NJOP is “an independent, non-profit organization which is dedicated to providing, through educational courses and experiential programs, a basic Jewish education for every Jew in America.” Their target audience is mainly Jews that are not particularly observant or those that have been away from a synagogue for a while, but want to get more involved at their own pace.

What this means to us in the military is that we will always have an easy and free way to be observant and study. There are a wide variety of services and materials that the NJOP offers. These are great for both the “user” and for lay leaders to offer programs of your own. I’ve spotlighted a few of their resources that may appeal to our readers.

Shabbat

Are you new to prayer services, or has it been a while since you’ve been to one (i.e. since you were 13)? The Beginners Service may be just what you need. It is a free publication (in both English and Hebrew) that makes it easy for anyone to conduct or participate in services.

For my fellow computer geeks out there, the NJOP sells Sabbath on CD. The CD-ROM includes prayers, rituals, customs and songs of the traditional Shabbat, a full Hebrew Reading Crash Course and explanatory tours of Sabbath Meals, a Synagogue and a “klezmer” kosher kitchen.

Hebrew

The NJOP’s Hebrew programs are well known for helping those with little or no background in the language. While the programs are not available online, there is a big push every November for a Hebrew Crash Course in synagogues across the country as part of their Read Hebrew America Program. The NJOP will help you find the nearest participating location for you.

These are just a few of the programs and resources offered by the NJOP. For a full listing of their offerings, check out their website.