Home of Jewish War Veterans Online Post 77
[Editor’s Note: This story was “lost” for a year and a half, but its call to arms for Jewish communities with military members is as relevant today as it was when it was originally authored.] I have just returned to my home in the hinterlands of rural Georgia from the big city of Washington, DC and have been contemplating a suddenly clear […]
Read more
Rabbi Landman’s memoir, My Sky Pilot Career : A Rabbi in the United States Air Force, is a wonderful look into the career of this accomplished Jewish Chaplain. For those unfamiliar with Rabbi Landman’s work, he served as an Air Force chaplain for over 25 years and played a major role in shaping the Jewish chaplaincy into what it is […]
Read more
Earlier this month Jewish service members (including chaplains, lay leaders, and regular troops) travelled to South Florida for the Aleph Institute’s fifth annual Military Shabbat Retreat and Training Course. The weekend gathering kicked off at The Shul of Bal Harbour Thursday morning with classes and events exploring the theme of diversity in the U.S. armed forces. Over the next several […]
Read more
Over the past couple weeks there have been some excellent feature stories that focus on Jews serving in the military. The first, from Time Magazine, called One Private, Two Armies is about Private Daniel Houten, who is currently in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. What makes his story interesting is that Houten just finished an 18-month tour with the IDF. This drives […]
Read more
This past week I had a unique opportunity as a Jewish layleader. I’m currently serving as a flight instructor for naval aviators near Pensacola, Florida. I’m extremely happy to (finally) live in a place with an active Jewish community. However, having two synagogues in town usually means that most of what I do as a layleader is refer them […]
Read morePennsylvania is currently mobilizing its largest contingent of National Guard since World War II. My unit, the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is currently at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, getting it in gear for deployment to Iraq. A few weeks prior to mobilization, I worked feverishly to have a lay program put together. The Aleph Institute was particularly helpful with materials, […]
Read moreEditor’s note: It’s important for Jewish soldiers to consider lay leadership, especially if they are indeed strong as leaders and are capable of coordinating services (or even leading them). If you have a rabbinical chaplain, your capabilities may be of great use for that chaplain as he leverages his duties to his unit against his duties to Jewish personnel. If […]
Read more