Lakewood, NJ Mayor Deploys as Jewish Chaplain

Air Force Major Menashe Miller recently ended his term as Mayor of Lakewood, New Jersey and will be deploying to the Middle East to serve as a Jewish chaplain for the troops during the holiday season.

Miller leaves in early December to offer support during the Chanukah holiday and is expected to return in January. When he returns, he will again be appointed mayor by the Township Committee. To send him off, the community held a surprise farewell ceremony in his honor. Among some of his comments at the ceremony, Major Miller said:

I am an Orthodox Jew. My great-grandparents were persecuted in many countries. The United States of America allows us to live free of persecution and this is an opportunity for me to give back to this great country.

I am going overseas during the holiday season. I go for a few weeks, but there are people who are there for much, much longer and they are the true heroes, the unsung heroes.

Please check out the full article over at the Asbury Park Press.