Admiral-Rabbi to Retire from Military

Harold Robinson was rabbi at B’Nai Zion from 1998-2006.

September 24, 2007

By John Andrew Prime

Shreveport Times

Former Shreveport Rabbi Harold Robinson, who also has served in national capacities in the Navy Reserve, will retire from military service in Washington, D.C., Tuesday as a rear admiral.

Robinson, a native of Boston, planned to retire from B’nai Zion Congregation here in 2006 but instead received a national appointment as director of the Jewish Chaplains Council.

Robinson most recently served as the Navy’s deputy chief of chaplains for reserve matters and as director of religious ministry in the Marine Corps Reserve.

His work with the Council includes supporting and training the 90 Jewish military chaplains and leaders of the 100 Jewish communities at installations without a chaplain. He served as the liaison between chaplains and the Department of Defense on Jewish affairs.

Robinson served at B’nai Zion eight years. He was ordained in 1974 and made a Navy chaplain in 1975.

He held rabbinates in Gary, Ind., and Cape Cod, Mass., prior to coming to Shreveport in 1998.

Commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1971, he served in the years since as a training officer, executive officer and in numerous capacities as a commander of religious personnel on myriad levels. He served as the Group Chaplain for the 4th Force Service Support Group, U.S. Marine Corps, and as Seabee National Chaplain. In in 2000 he was assigned to the Chief of Naval Chaplains Office as Special Assistant for Reserve Manpower.

As an admiral, his flag assignment was as Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters and Director of Religious Programs, Marine Force Reserve. He also served as the president of the Command, Naval Reserves Forces Policy Board Fiscal Year 2005, the first staff corps officer so assigned.

Overseas, his active-duty assignments included Naples, Italy; Holy Loch, Scotland; Keflavik, Iceland, Okinawa, Japan; Manama, Bahrain and Djibouti. He also visited military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar and Kuwait. He also was deployed to Guam.

Robinson’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Naval Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, the Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Deployment Ribbon.