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Heidelberg, Germany - One of the U.S. Army’s newest chaplains in Europe is trying to build a congregation and a sense of community for a faith that has relatively few numbers compared to other religions.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Avi Weiss said although his first priority as a Jewish chaplain based in Heidelberg, Germany, is as a deputy commander in Installation Management Command-Europe’s chaplain corps, he also plans to reach as many Jewish soldiers and Jewish Department of Defense civilians as possible.
"I want to be a resource to people," Weiss said. "People can call me about questions or if there are issues about observances."
IMCOM-Europe officials said that Weiss may be the first Jewish chaplain at his level in Europe in at least 10 years.
He arrived here in March, but deployed to Afghanistan for about three weeks in April.
Weiss said he is trying to reach out to soldiers via a newsletter called Kol Torah and by contacting members of the Jewish communities around Army garrisons in Europe. So far, 150 soldiers have signed up for the newsletter.
But the Orthodox rabbi admits that covering so much territory is a daunting task. He said one of his goals is to travel to every Army garrison in Europe within a year.
He was to head to Wiesbaden recently for a change of command ceremony for a Jewish officer who felt it was very important to have a rabbi lead the invocation.
Weiss said he also hopes to meet with Jewish soldiers based at Wiesbaden.
"It was important to me because every single event in the Army starts out with a benediction … about 99 percent of the time that is from a Christian chaplain," Capt. Joseph Billingsley said.
"I wanted to have that Jewish chaplain because I’m Jewish."
Billingsley, the operations officer for the 102nd Signal Battalion, was to take command of the 255th Signal Detachment.
"I’ve been in Europe and Iraq for the past five years and there are a number of Jewish soldiers and American civilians who would like to be more active (in Judaism). I think there is a great need (for a rabbi)," Billingsley said.
Weiss is trying to bridge that geographic hurdle with other activities as well, such as a Rosh Hashanah retreat for Jewish troops and DOD civilians in mid-September at the Bad Sobernheim camp, which is run by the Central Jewish Agency for Germany.
"This is my pride and joy," Weiss said of the retreat, which would mark the Jewish New Year.
"I see it as a way to reach out for Rosh Hashanah."
Weiss said he might plan a retreat for Yom Kippur — the Jewish Day of Atonement — which falls about a week after Rosh Hashanah.
The rabbi also has contacted Jewish organizations in Germany, such the Jewish School of Higher Learning in Heidelberg.
He attended a retreat that the school held last weekend and has asked it to co-sponsor the Rosh Hashanah retreat.
"We benefit when there is local interaction with local Jews as well," Weiss said.
That interaction has even included his playing matchmaker by introducing Jewish single soldiers to local Jewish girls.
"As a rabbi, I was happy to see people were looking in their own faith ... for dates," Weiss said.
IMCOM-Europe’s top chaplain, Col. Doug Kinder, said one goal of having Weiss in Europe is to help him find lay leaders who can lead Jewish services and find other resources for Jewish soldiers and civilians near the garrisons.
"Part of his responsibilities I would see for him is to build a congregation," Kinder said.
But Judaism isn’t the only faith that has a shortage of chaplains or resources in Europe, Kinder added.
Finding someone to tend to the needs of Muslims, Wiccans — a growing religion — and other religions is also difficult, he said.
"We look up every option we can think of, and hopefully there is something in the community that they can plug into," Kinder said.
"Generally if you look hard enough, you can find something."
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Read Comments (6) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 21, 2009 at 04:48 PM Anonymous Says:
More young when should consider the Chaplaincy (in any branch of the military) when they leave Yeshiva. It was always great to meet up with a Jewish chaplain when was in the Navy. Unfortuneately, there are not enough Jewish Chaplains in the military and their abscence is felt by the Jewish men and women serving their country.
2
Jun 21, 2009 at 11:56 PM Milhouse Says:
“ More young when should consider the Chaplaincy (in any branch of the military) when they leave Yeshiva. It was always great to meet up with a Jewish chaplain when was in the Navy. Unfortuneately, there are not enough Jewish Chaplains in the military and their abscence is felt by the Jewish men and women serving their country. ”
If they would allow beards, there would be more volunteers.
3
Jun 22, 2009 at 12:23 PM Anonymous Says:
Rabbi, Colonel Ken Leinwand, was the highest ranking Jewish Chaplain in Europe who was stationed in Heidelberg from 2000 until 2004. He was also the Command Chaplain for all Army forces in Europe supervising 200 chaplains from the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Islamic faiths.
4
Jun 22, 2009 at 04:55 PM Milhouse Says:
“ Rabbi, Colonel Ken Leinwand, was the highest ranking Jewish Chaplain in Europe who was stationed in Heidelberg from 2000 until 2004. He was also the Command Chaplain for all Army forces in Europe supervising 200 chaplains from the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Islamic faiths. ”
Leinwand is a reform clergyperson; why would he be of more interest to us than a moslem or catholic chaplain?
5
Jun 25, 2009 at 07:45 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Leinwand is a reform clergyperson; why would he be of more interest to us than a moslem or catholic chaplain? ”
For the edification of Anonymous, and all those other protected souls who may never have ventured beyond “us” [as in “why would he be of more interest to us”]:
Two answers to your question come to mind immediately.
First, the military chaplaincy is unique in that its relationship to the military Jewish community is across-the-board. While chaplains may come from schools which call themselves “Orthodox”, “Conservative”, “Reform”, “Reconstructionist” or any other label, once they are in the field they are just “Jewish”. Their congregation is ALL Jewish members of the military community, and all those who are interested in being involved in the Jewish program. Generally, Jewish chaplains are sensitive to the broad range of their congregants and potential congregants, setting highest-common-denominator standards for things like kashrut, while walking the finest of lines to make sure that their community is a totally welcoming one. So if you have a child — or niece, or student, or Jewish-kid-down-the-block — who are in uniform, you should know that they will be well taken care of (to the extent that they make themselves known, and want to be involved) by whatever “flavor” of Jewish chaplain happens to be in their vicinity.
Second, you are right: not that you should be as little interested in a so-called Reform chaplain as in a Protestant, Catholic, or Moslem one. But that you should be VERY interested that there be SOMEONE who stands for religious needs and preferences, who will support a Jewish soldier (airman/family member/etc……) in their Jewish lifestyle.
In a recent exchange on “Mail Jewish”, a retired military member remarked that he still had — many years later — a file copy of a letter attesting that he kept kosher and requesting the appropriate arrangements. The letter was written on his behalf by a Protestant chaplain, because there was no Jewish chaplain at his location.
Likewise, Jewish chaplains regularly support Moslem servicemembers’ request for similar consideration regarding Hallal, when they demonstrate their sincerity.
So while you may have the luxury of being comfortably surrounded by enough rabbis, synagogues, kosher products, etc., to pick and choose, it’s those chaplains who are on the cutting edge, supporting people whose questions are not “9:00 or hashkama” or “O-U or Kof-K”, but rather “date Jewish or not” or “if I tell them I want Friday night off will they think it’s just to get out of cleaning the latrine.”
Look past your own nose, into the future a generation or two, and you might just realize that it should be of interest to you too.
6
Jun 25, 2009 at 08:14 AM Anonymous Says:
“ For the edification of Anonymous, and all those other protected souls who may never have ventured beyond “us” [as in “why would he be of more interest to us”]:
Two answers to your question come to mind immediately.
First, the military chaplaincy is unique in that its relationship to the military Jewish community is across-the-board. While chaplains may come from schools which call themselves “Orthodox”, “Conservative”, “Reform”, “Reconstructionist” or any other label, once they are in the field they are just “Jewish”. Their congregation is ALL Jewish members of the military community, and all those who are interested in being involved in the Jewish program. Generally, Jewish chaplains are sensitive to the broad range of their congregants and potential congregants, setting highest-common-denominator standards for things like kashrut, while walking the finest of lines to make sure that their community is a totally welcoming one. So if you have a child — or niece, or student, or Jewish-kid-down-the-block — who are in uniform, you should know that they will be well taken care of (to the extent that they make themselves known, and want to be involved) by whatever “flavor” of Jewish chaplain happens to be in their vicinity.
Second, you are right: not that you should be as little interested in a so-called Reform chaplain as in a Protestant, Catholic, or Moslem one. But that you should be VERY interested that there be SOMEONE who stands for religious needs and preferences, who will support a Jewish soldier (airman/family member/etc……) in their Jewish lifestyle.
In a recent exchange on “Mail Jewish”, a retired military member remarked that he still had — many years later — a file copy of a letter attesting that he kept kosher and requesting the appropriate arrangements. The letter was written on his behalf by a Protestant chaplain, because there was no Jewish chaplain at his location.
Likewise, Jewish chaplains regularly support Moslem servicemembers’ request for similar consideration regarding Hallal, when they demonstrate their sincerity.
So while you may have the luxury of being comfortably surrounded by enough rabbis, synagogues, kosher products, etc., to pick and choose, it’s those chaplains who are on the cutting edge, supporting people whose questions are not “9:00 or hashkama” or “O-U or Kof-K”, but rather “date Jewish or not” or “if I tell them I want Friday night off will they think it’s just to get out of cleaning the latrine.”
Look past your own nose, into the future a generation or two, and you might just realize that it should be of interest to you too.
”
In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote the above response based on my over 30 years of experience as the wife of an US Army chaplain, musmach of Yeshiva University, through a career spanning three continents, active duty and reserve time, lots of tough decisions and wonderful people and very special opportunities to make a difference.