Field Conversions
I hate to start back on a sour note, but this story just really bugged me.
The Baptist Press (for what it’s worth), recently reported on Army Captain Andy Taylor, a Baptist chaplain currently serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The contents of the article disturbed me quite a bit.
It proudly talks about how CPT Taylor converted a Jewish soldier:
“One evening shortly after Perez’s death, a young Jewish soldier came into my tent and said he wanted to talk about Jesus,” Taylor said. “I used Old Testament Scriptures to show him how he needed a relationship with Jesus, and that night he kneeled down and gave his life to Christ.”
In reference to his “unbiased” nature as a military chaplain:
Taylor said many people think that when he puts on a military uniform, he’s not a Southern Baptist anymore… “I preach Southern Baptist doctrine,” he emphasized. “I let fly that there is only one way to be saved. You can cut me, and I bleed Southern Baptist doctrine.”
Let me say that I have personally dealt with far more Christian chaplains than Jewish chaplains during my service (a matter of statistics rather than preference), and every one of them has treated me fairly and with respect. Proselytizing is highly discouraged (if not forbidden) and I have never run across it myself. By no means am I damning the non-Jewish chaplain corps. 99.9% of them do a fantastic job for people of all faiths, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a bad apple that slips through now and again.
I realize that the Baptist Press is going to put a little spin on a story like this, but there are an awful lot of bothersome quotes in there. I’m curious what any Jewish chaplains or lay leaders that are reading this think about it. You can leave a comment below.
I have to add this last quote, if only for comic relief:
As an officer, I’m the only one who doesn’t wear rank, but I wear the cross on my helmet. A young Muslim boy pointed at the cross and said, ‘God.’ It struck me that even a Muslim child knows that Jesus is the Messiah.”
UPDATE: A more detailed look at this story appeared in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
This article is deeply disturbing..Are there any offial Millitary (chaplin)rules that were violated here? If so is there anything we can do about it..Does the Jewish Chaplins Council know about this? I would like to know their responce..
I too am very upset about this. It is just wrong.
I will be looking into this matter and writing and talking about it on the radio. I don’t find it offensive that sometimes men in battle need a chaplain – we all do (there are no Atheists in foxholes), but I do find it troubling that there would be pride in conversion during battle. With so few rabbis in the military no wonder a Jew would have the urge to convert. This is not the end of this one – I assure you.
I wonder what he had been saying all along to get the man in there in the first place to “talk about jesus”.
There must be something that we can do to reach out to Jews who are in the army and alone, whether or not they are religious Jews. I know that each Christmas letters go out wishing soldiers happy holidays etc, perhaps these guys and gals need to be remembered during the year (perhaps this is already done and I don’t know about it.)
Rachel, there are a number of groups that reach out to Jews in the military (I’d like to think that we are one of them).
We organized a Channukah mailing this year, (see here and here) but there is always more that can be done. We’ll be doing something similar for Purim, Passover, and the High Holidays.
Thank you,
If ex-american’s can send letters, then sign me up for Purim/Passover letter writing, it is the least I can do.
Will do. There will be a big push for packages/letters soon on the website. I’ll add you to my contact list too, so you can get more involved.
Thanks for your support. We’ll take it from whomever is offering (ex-American or not). 😉
There are Jewish chaplains?!?!?
I know they exist, I have just never seen one. When I encounter a Christian chaplain or lay leader who actually knows what Judaism is, I am asked: “So…are you messianic or orthodox?”
“Um…neither…”
“So…are you messianic or orthodox?”
“Reform.”
“Oh, Great! So you believe in Jesus! I thought for a minute you were not saved…!”
And so on, and so forth, etc.
I wanted to add a quick note about the ads on this page. Google Adsense (the originator of the ads on this site) selects ads based on the content of the pages they are on.
For obvious reasons, this article seems to generate a lot of ads for Christian organizations and even some “Jews for Jesus” type sites.
I can block certain sites, but I have to do them as they show up in the ads. So, I apologize for any inappropriate ads that may appear here. Rest assured that I don’t hand select them, and that I’m doing my best to remove anything that would be offensive or inappropriate.
Gang,
Rest assured that there ARE Jewish chaplains out there, though we are few and far between!
The Code of Ethic for Chaplains in the Armed Forces, in Article 11, reads: “I will not proselytize from other religious bodies, but I retain the right to evangelize those who are not affiliated.” This leaves the door wide open for “evangelizing” anyone who claims no religious affiliation, but also in the case of a Jewish member going to “ask about Jesus,” it gives the Christian chaplain full freedom to speak his mind to the Jew (or other) who comes to him. So…while we don’t like to hear about these sort of things happening and certainly this story has some “spin,” the truth is that this happens all the time.
The obvious antidote is to have active Jewish groups wherever Jews serve, where we can share our thoughts – not just complaints about the Christians and their proselytizing behavior, but also sharing the great joys and comforts and teachings of Judaism. Sadly, my experience is that very few Jews in uniform bother to come…even at locations where there is a well-established congregation.
But keep on soldiering…what you folks do matters!
Don Levy
Chaplain, USAF
Ramstein AB, Germany
Please also consider that many of the “Jews” who subscribe to Jews for J, or who want to “convert”, are not necessarily really Jewish to begin with, but only think they are, for one reason or another.
Kate
This upsets me, like it does to so many. I am stationed at Fort Sill, and I personally know Chaplain Andy Taylor. I also attend services regularly with the one Jewish Chaplain here, Rabbi Soussan. I can’t begin to imagine what this man was thinking. Even worse, was the conversation that led to this decision. This young Jewish Soldier didn’t “come to Jesus” because he had a leap of faith. He did it because his own chaplain, who is supposed to help him in his personal faith, convinced him that if he did not have Jesus in his life that he would go to Hell if he were to die like the other 6-27 FA Soldier, Jose Perez. I am deeply disturbed and ashamed at this chaplain.
One has to wonder about the religious atmosphere inculcated by that chaplain. It is very isolating and lonely at times, being THE Jew in the squadron or base. Often I feel my second job is being a Jewish ambassador. I support everyones right to convert (after all I converted to Judaism). I studied for several years before deciding on Judaism, and studied for several more before deciding which branch. At no time was I pressured to do it, nor was my life in danger (although my rabbi rushed through the last part of my studies when I got orders to Saudi right after the USS Cole was bombed, I told him if I died I wanted to die Jewish). At times I have been discriminated against because of my faith, but never by Chaplains, just by overzealous coworkers. I was introduced to a new guy once as “This is my friend Melissa. She’s Jewish.” The guy responded with, “You know you’re going to burn in hell, don’t you?” Going to the on base dentist at my last base meant listening to the Christian music piped into his office (which I objected to and they did turn off). As much as the military is supposed to be egalitarian, people still say and do what they want. All the chaplains I’ve worked with have been supportive, but if you are deployed with Christians, fight beside Christians, eat, sleep and bathe with Christians, you are going to hear a lot about Jesus. I can understand how if he wasn’t strong in his faith he would feel the desire to feel secure in a hostile situation. And if the chaplain is presented with a willing ear he’d fill it. This answer is support from Jewish groups. This year I got a package of letter for Purim from a Jewish day school. I sat and read every one of them and just bawled b/c I was so lonely and isolated from my people. There are only 18 of us on base, I just got approved as the lay leader (no one else volunteered) and I’ll be starting services on the 29th of April. So maybe that will prevent another one leaving.
Why can Christian chaplains haul out the baptismal pool whenever/wherever they want to, but Jewish chaplains are not allowed to assist in conversions, even of Active Duty military or spouses?
I was told by our post rabbi (Active Duty Army) that he couldn’t help me with my conversion at all. He gave me a phone number for a rabbi a couple of hours away, but our Army rabbi can’t hold classes or anything…
I don’t get it.
Perhaps I can shed a little light on the last post in this thread from LAS.
Your Jewish chaplain wasn’t lying, the JWB’s policy IS that Jewish chaplains do not “convert” people to Judaism. (The JWB is no longer the ONLY endorser of rabbis to the military chaplaincy, but it still endorses most of us.)
Rabbi David Lapp, the long-serving director of the JWB who retired last year, used to tell me there had long been a “gentlemen’s agreement” between the Jews and the various Christian endorsers of chaplains that essentially said: “Our chaplains won’t convert your people and your chaplains won’t convert ours.” This, according to Rabbi Lapp is the basis of the JWB’s policy for the rabbis it endorses to the military, that they will not “do” conversions. Agreeing to abide with that policy has long been a prerequisite to serving as a rabbi in uniform under the endorsement of the JWB. (Other specific requirements are (1) not to officiate at marriage ceremonies for a Jew and a non-Jew, (2) not to serve non-kosher food at any Jewish chapel-sponsored gathering, (3) not to officiate at a religious service bare-headed, and (4) to respect the sensibilities of one’s congregation in matters such as instrumental music at chapel services, mehitza, etc.) On a number of occasions when talking with Rabbi Lapp, I pointed out that every chaplain I’ve met during my service was happy to convince those who currently belonged to another religion to convert to the chaplain’s tradition. In the case of the evangelicals, this involves getting on one’s knees and making a profession of faith (backed up by baptism when possible), in the case of the Catholics it’s more of a process, not too much unlike conversion to Judaism. My own concern was that I wanted to feel free to help people convert to Judaism without feeling I’d made an ethical transgression by violating the JWB’s policy. I’ve also on occasion sounded out my fellow active duty chaplains about raising our voices together to try to change the JWB’s stand on the issue, but I received no sympathy. (One colleague responded: “Don, just do what you think you need to do and don’t worry about the JWB…but we like having the JWB’s policy because at times it serves as a convenient screen.”)
(BTW I’ve heard it suggested by other colleagues that the “real” reason for the JWB’s no-conversion policy is something entirely different, but since I can’t confirm this I won’t comment on it.)
The professional leadership of the JWB has recently changed; Rabbi Harold Robinson is now the director. I have not heard of any changes in the above policy since then; I’m assuming it’s still in effect.
I have always submitted to the letter of the policy by providing counselling and instruction and, when the candidate was ready, sponsoring them to a civilian beit din for conversion. Fortunately, wherever I’ve been stationed as a rabbi (Northwest Florida, the UK, Colorado and now, even Germany) I’ve always had recourse to a civilian beit din to which to refer my candidates. When I was downrange, I never received a request for a “battlefield conversion,” and I honestly don’t know exactly how I would have responded had I received such a request.
Nu, I hope this helps clarify why you got the response you did from your rabbi.
Rabbi Don Levy
USAF
Ramstein AB, Germany
Dear Rabbi Levy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my question. I never thought the Rabbi here was lying, but I thought it was a military policy and in that context it didn’t make sense that a Christian chaplain could baptize someone, but a Jewish chaplain was unable to assist with conversion. Now that I know about the JWB policy and a bit about the way a chaplain is endorsed/sponsored into the military, it makes more sense.
I didn’t realize conversion was such a complex issue when I began this journey, and although I have met a couple of negative people, for the most part I have felt welcomed and supported in our community. Of course, I wanted to be converted “yesterday”, but by having to take my time and really persist with things, I feel like I have learned much more (academically and personally) this way, and I know with certainty that being Jewish is truly how I want to live my life and not just a passing fad.
I’m sure the people you have spoken with about conversion felt you helped them simply by being friendly and encouraging, even if they had to go to a civilian beit din. A kind word goes a long way in staying the course, I have found, especially when things can seem overwhelming!
So thank you again, I really appreciate you taking the time to write!
Rabbi Levy,
Like LAS, I also wanted to thank you for your comments. I’ve had the intent to round up the JWB’s purposes and policies concerning conversion on my “to do” list for some time.
I understand the agreement, but in some places it’s not so convenient. I was stationed at Fort Sill (in the same brigade with the chaplain that started this thread – see post #12), and our rabbi (Rabbi Soussan) was the only rabbi within an hour and a half from our post. If you wanted guidance on conversion, the best second source was the Lubavitcher in the Chabad House in Oklahoma City.
In an area like that, it is important for the local rabbi to be able to counsel and work with every part of everyone’s life cycle, from birth to marriage to death, even if he has to draw on the non-military community. I understand that conversion isn’t directly working with a Jewish Soldier, but if it is a spouse (or potential spouse), then maybe it could (or should) be addressed.
The other four specific requirements all sound sensible to me, but not helping a Soldier with conversion seems to be counter-intuitive to the idea of a chaplain.
Where I serve now (in Germany), there is no Jewish Chaplain and no Jewish community. If such a chaplain were to arive, I would expect that he would be able to help out with any issue, to include counseling and teaching for a non-Jew or for a less-knowledgeable Jew who wishes to strengthen his/her faith.
You’re welcome! From guiding Jews-by-Choice I know that the road is long, sometimes twisted and often frought with frustration. Most of my candidates felt a sense of joy at the completion of their journey into Judaism. And anecdotally I’ve found that most who go the distance are accepted almost without hesitation in their congregations (civilian or military).
Nu, if I can help anyone on this forum who is interested in conversion or just has questions about Judaism, please feel free to write me!
Rabbi Don Levy, USAF
Ramstein AB
donald.levy@us.af.mil
Captain Kleehammer,
I’m going to say something that some may construe as a criticism of my Orthodox cousins, but it is certainly not intended that way. (Disclosure: I’m a Reform Rabbi.)
Among Orthodox rabbis generally today there is a great deal of ambivalence about guiding conversions of those who cannot live entirely in the embrace of an observant community, and live a “halachic lifestyle” as that rabbi understands it. This is not an issue only in the diaspora; in the State of Israel it has led to an almost complete breakdown in the process of supervising conversions, in cases of immigrants who are not Jewish (but married to Jews) or who are “Jewish enough” to qualify for citizenship under the Law of Return yet not halachically Jewish (usually, the child of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother). We have the Chief Rabbi of Ashdod announcing that conversions supervised by Orthodox batei din in the US are considered “null and void.” We have rabbis from the various streams of Orthodoxy discounting the work of rabbis in other streams. (And we’re not even talking about how they approach the work of the non-Orthodox rabbinate!) The breakdown centers on the question of how to “guarantee” that a Jew-by-Choice will accept the “yoke of the commandments,” and what happens if s/he, in the end, does not.
This tziftzuf reflects the tension between the lenient/stringent halachic camps, but also a struggle between Modern Orthodox and Hareidi strains for dominance of Orthodox Judaism.
The JWB says we cannot “do conversions,” but at the same time allows us to teach, counsel and prepare candidates. I’ve worked with a bunch of candidates for conversion over my 11 years, taking half a dozen in the end to batei din in various places. In every place where I’ve been stationed to now, I’ve not had a problem finding a beit din within a reasonable distance that would credential me for sponsoring candidates.
Again, no criticism of either Orthodox colleagues in general or Rabbi Soussan in particular intended, but the insistence that the JWB requirement should preclude even a willingness to even help the candidate for conversion comes, I think, from this ambivalence over converts who will not live “halachic lives.” I’ve been told by many an individual inquiring about an Orthodox conversion (either from a military or civilian rabbi), that they were told to move to an Orthodox community as a precondition for even being considered.
Nu, it’s a very complex mess and while I guess knowing that doesn’t help those who are struggling to find a way into traditional Judaism, maybe it helps to understand that it’s not personal.
Capt. Kleehammer, if you’ll contact me by e-mail off-line and let me know where in Germany you are, maybe I can help you find a nearby community. Of course, that goes for anyone else on this forum as well.
Rabbi Don Levy, USAF
Ramstein AB
donald.levy@us.af.mil
http://www.rabbidonlevy.com
It’s so difficult with the military, same for those who move around a great deal. In a fixed location, it’s not so bad. Folks can convert and live in a community where their conversion will not be invalid.
The shul I affiliated with in upstate New York asked if I lived within the eruv, and if not, if I would consider moving within. By trick of fate, my house fell within the eruv. I think gerim were urged to do the same during the conversion process, which to me was a fairly steep precondition. Property values within the eruv were through the roof compared to those falling outside the boundary maven’s scrutiny. This also, in a few cases, precluded a ba’al tshuvot from becoming truly shomer mitzvot. As in the military, this left some unaffiliated Jews, in this case from the FSU, as prey for missionary groups like Jews for Jesus.
On the other hand, since so much about conversion depends on the gerim’s capacity to not just live a halachic lifestyle, but add value to the community-at-large, we can see the quandry that serves as preamble to ambivalence within the military.
Personally, I wish our military community was sufficient for the sake of conversion, but it is what it is. On the other hand, the convert who drives and makes the extra-effort for conversion is ideally one we want in the community anyway. We should find ways to mitigate the cost incurred to military families who want to convert, though. With current gas prices, oy vey.
Good luck to anyone reading the comments or this article who is considering or is in the process of converting. For those in remote places, check out http://www.jewfaq.org. The lady that runs it puts a lot of effort into providing information that’s helpful to Jew and gerim alike.