How can my kids get a Jewish education if I’m stationed 100 miles from the nearest synagogue?
Many military members homeschool their children for their secular education (for a number of reasons), and do an excellent job of it. There is no reason this wouldn’t work well for your children’s Jewish education as well. If it is that important to you (and it should be!) then you should be willing to invest the time and effort to serve as an educator. There are a number of curricula available online and as of recently, there is an excellent online school run by Chabad (it’s how those Chabad emissaries around the world educate their children in far off locations), that is now available to military families. See this post for more info.
Something to remember too, is that you won’t spend your entire career at “Fort Podunk”. We all have to suck-up a bad duty station from time to time, but as you progress you’ll have a say in where you are stationed and with proper research you can find a location with quality religious (and secular) education for your family.
Posted in: Life in the Military