Tag Archives: Jewish

Military Religion Question Answered: Email

The US military has been accused of allowing its members to illegally use its official government email system to distribute messages with religious content (see background here).  These actions have been called “unConstitutional” and “a violation of military regulations.”

This e-mail distribution has violated the separation of church and state [and] violates well established [military regulations].

In one specific incident, a base Chaplain asked the staff to forward a Bible study announcement.  Did that message violate regulations, or any other policy or standard?

The shortest, most accurate answer: Read more

Jewish Chaplain Serves Diverse Crowd

US Army Chaplain (Lt Col) Avi Weiss has previously been profiled here.  The Defense Department has a new article out that notes the challenges he experiences not only as a Jewish Chaplain serving all faiths, but also as a Jewish Chaplain serving the unique aspects of the Jewish faith.

Like all chaplains, he serves Soldiers, civilians and family members of all faiths, but the wide variety of Jewish traditions among his faithful adds an extra level of complexity.  Weiss is personally “very traditional Orthodox,” but many of the military members he serves are not. Read more

Military Religion Question Answered: Brooks

Previously, a question was posed about the propriety of a photo that showed Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks and a flag with a Christian cross.  The photo and initial post can be seen here.  The accusation said that a regulation had been violated because it was

a photo of an Army officer giving a briefing while standing in front of a Christian flag.

So, did the General, as the accusers assert, violate military regulations?

The shortest, most accurate answer: Read more

Jewish Lay Leaders Support Soldiers’ Faith

A shortage of Jewish Chaplains in the US military, as well as the fact that a small number of Jewish military members tend to be spread out among a large number of bases, can make religious association of Jewish troops difficult.  This often leads to reliance on other soldiers or the contributions of “lay leaders”–often retired military members in the local community.

In the Atlanta, Georgia, area, retired US Navy Master Chief Jim Bradford is one such lay leader.  He recently coordinated the visit of Rabbi Menachem Katz, Aleph Institute director of outreach programs, to minister to the local Jewish community at Fort McPherson.  When they met, the group discussed the challenges of living of celebrating their faith within the constraints of the military environment.  Read more

Praise for Jewish Chaplain, MREs at Army Base

As previously noted, last year a Jewish US Army basic trainee at Fort Benning was assaulted for reasons that he claimed were related to his faith.  His assailant was discharged, and the victim, Michael Handman, was allowed to leave the Army.

Several news sources are now crediting that scandal with recent activities occurring at Fort Benning.  These actions have included the addition of Kosher MREs at the dining hall and a permanent party Jewish Chaplain.  The base has previously had a Jewish Chaplain, though the relatively small number of Jewish Chaplains limits the number of bases to which they can be permanently assigned.  (The Associated Press text also says that the drill sergeants were “disciplined,” though there is no public evidence to that effect.)

Last year the incident rose to scandal status, involving the MRFF, ADL, and NAACP. Read more

Military Christians Equated with Nazis

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has made a significant fundraising push over the past several months.  In a July fundraising email, the MRFF used a letter from a Holocaust survivor who “pled” for financial support for Michael Weinstein’s organization.

In the letter, the author, Walter Plywaski (who notes he is “previously Wladyslaw Plywacki”), appears to associate “fundamentalist Christianity” in the United States with his Nazi tormentors, a moral equivalency that has also been implied by Weinstein in the past.  Plywaski says that Christians are using methods similar to those instigated by the Nazis: Read more

Jewish Chaplain Builds his Congregation

The Stars and Stripes covers the efforts of a US military Jewish Chaplain serving the troops while in Germany.  Chaplain Avi Weiss admirably faces a daunting task as one of the few Jewish Chaplains for members of a faith spread across much of the European theatre.  He has previously served at the equally (or more) challenging Army facilities in South Korea, as well as Army bases in the United States.

The Chaplain already has a religious newsletter and has been called upon for an interesting reason Read more

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