US Air Force Enlists First Bearded Rabbi

Perhaps drowned out by other military religious issues, a few sites noted that the US Air Force recently swore in its first Jewish rabbi with a beard:

Rabbi Elie Estrin [made] history this week.

The Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi…is set to become the first bearded chaplain in the U.S. Air Force.

The ceremony [was] held on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the McCord Air Force Base at Fort Lewis in Washington.

The US military’s policy changes in January 2014 — which were intended to protect religious expression in the military, including beards and clothing — enabled Estrin’s path to the chaplaincy:

The rabbi said that he started the process of applying for the chaplaincy the very same day he heard about the changes in January.

Via the Religion Clause.

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