Tag Archives: Jewish

Retired General Robert Magnus to speak at Jewish Center

When General Robert Magnus retired in 2008 after nearly 40 years of service, he was second in command of the US Marine Corps and the highest ranking Jewish member of the US military.

He was also a Naval aviator, though a transport helicopter pilot, so even he received a “callsign:”

The assignment prompted a friend to bestow on him a “call sign,” a nickname given to a military pilot as a substitute for the officer’s given name. “Fighter pilots and attack helicopter pilots all had call signs, but I was a transport helicopter pilot and we didn’t,” he explains. His friend insisted and Magnus became “Heeb,” short for “Hebrew.”

Think a callsign like that would last long in today’s politically correct environment?  Interestingly enough, it did last more than 30 years:  Read more

Conflict Between Belief, Regs Prevents Jewish Chaplain

The Wall Street Journal picks up on a story covered here previously:  Rabbi Menachem Stern has been trying to become a US military Chaplain, but is currently unable because he wears a beard as a tenet of his faith.

The 28-year-old rabbi was notified last year that he had been accepted as a chaplain in the Army Reserve. Almost immediately, Army officials contacted him to say the acceptance was a clerical mistake, and that unless he was willing to shave his beard, he couldn’t join.  As a Chabad Lubavitch rabbi, Mr. Stern refused, saying the beard is a tenet of his faith.

Stern is obviously aware of the Army’s previous exceptions allowed, including Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein, who was grandfathered, and Read more

The Ground Zero Mosque and the Pentagon Chapel

In response to the controversy over the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York City, a spate of articles has taken to highlighting the “non-controversy” over Islamic prayers occurring in the Pentagon Chapel, just feet from the impact point of one of the other airliners hijacked in 2001:

The Pentagon chapel is part of a memorial to the 184 people killed in 2001 when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the west side of the Pentagon and plowed through three of the building’s five office rings.

As part of its massive renovation, the Pentagon opened the nondenominational chapel in November 2002. The chapel hosts a daily prayer group and weekly worship service for Muslims, and provides similar services for Jews, Hindus, Mormons, Protestants, Catholics and Episcopalians.  Read more

“Freedom” Group Seeks Ban on Religious Exercise in the US Military

Despite running a self-founded “religious freedom” organization, Michael Weinstein is apparently calling for the US military to restrict religious free exercise within its ranks.  His reason?  The Constitutionally-protected liberty offends al Qaeda.

Unlike most mainstream organizations, Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation still revels in publicizing his organization’s communications, wearing both the hate mail and the kudos as badges of honor.  (They even republish comments from their website, because apparently being posted once isn’t good enough…)  Recently, MRFF board member Richard Baker responded to a contact with a lengthy message in which he included many standard MRFF talking points, like this one: Read more

Gene Robinson Criticizes ADF for Opposing DADT Repeal

Gene Robinson, famous as the first homosexual bishop in the Anglican church, wrote an opinion piece in USA Today demonstrating the lack of understanding some opponents of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have about the military, regulations, and the law.  In his piece, he criticizes the reply by ADF attorney Daniel Blomberg that said “religious liberty is in real jeopardy” should DADT be repealed.

First, Robinson says:  Read more

Christian Military Perspective: Pagans, Religious Freedom, and Officership

Recent articles have highlighted the moral struggle faced by Christian men and women in the US military.  When the US Air Force Academy established an official area for pagan congregation, it aroused a wide variety of emotions, from those who found the pagan belief system repulsive to those who felt anyone should be free to do as they please.  Military Christians, too, experienced tension between the tenets of their faith and the dictates of their profession.

Following an article documenting the creation of the Academy pagan area, a commenter highlighted this very conflict (as she intended) when she asked:

That’s great news…It shows a willingness to be accepting of “other” faiths. Don’t you think it’s great news?

Is the creation of a pagan circle at the US Air Force Academy “great news?”  There are two distinct perspectives at issue, that of a Christian and that of a member of the military.  Ultimately, they form the perspective of a military Christian.  Read more

Jewish Chaplains, Atheists, and the MRFF’s Reza Aslan

Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein often attracts attention when he visits military units, as he is one of the few personnel sporting a full beard in his Army fatigues.  Goldstein is one of seven orthodox Jewish Chaplains serving in the US Army.

A recent article notes his presence at a local training event in California.  In the article, Goldstein takes an interesting view on spirituality in the armed forces:

“The military gives great deference to religion,” said Goldstein, “You ask any commander – any Soldier that is spiritual and has some religion makes for a good Soldier.  The fact the Soldier has some kind of comfort and has some faith – regardless of that faith – if you believe in something, that’s important.”

Such a statement — a spiritual soldier makes a good soldier — might ordinarily draw a stern and caustically worded rebuke from Michael Weinstein or his Military Religious Freedom Foundation, if it came from a Christian.  This is particularly relevant since two of his litigation vehicles have been atheists.  (Interestingly, Goldstein has previously defended the military against Weinstein’s accusations.)  Ironically, though, a member of the MRFF has recently been taken to task for degrading atheists.

Reza Aslan is reportedly Read more

Rabbi Lapin on American Christianity

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, an interesting and sometimes controversial American orthodox rabbi, has a fascinating interview at the Jewish Press that touches on Christianity in America.  He discusses everything from the “threat” to Judaism of Christianity in America to his encouragement to wish Christians a “Merry Christmas” rather than Happy Holidays:

I think America has provided the most tranquil, prosperous, and durable haven for Jews in the last 2,000 years because it is a [religious] Protestant country, not in spite of it.  Read more

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