Washington – Several Rabbis were participants last week at a Public Safety Chaplains Conference in Washington, D.C. The Conference, which invited Chaplains from the U.S. Military, and from federal, state, and county agencies, was held at the CIA Headquarters Complex in Langley, Virginia. The seminars were attended by Incident Commanders, Public Safety, and Military Chaplains.
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The day-long training session featured a Keynote Address by the Honorable Leon E. Panetta, Director of the CIA. Mr. Panetta’s talk touched on his own youth, religious training, and the need for spirituality in the everyday workplace. The director spoke emotionally of the recent episode of a suicide bomber murdering 7 members of the Agency in Afghanistan, and the immediate and effective response of the chaplains. Mr. Panetta was warmly received by the Chaplains, and received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech.
The chaplains also heard from Major General Karl R. Horst, Commander of U.S. Army Military District of Washington and Joint Force Headquarters. Major General Horst, a graduate of West Point, and an experienced career battle-soldier, emphasized the need for commanders to include chaplaincy in their daily routine. The general related in several episodes, how the chaplains have become a crucial and integral part of the life in the military, especially during battle times.
Other featured speakers included Command Chaplain Colonel Steven L. Berry, and chaplains from the CIA Chaplain Unit and several police department, and fire department chaplains.
The chaplains toured the CIA Headquarters, and were able to arrange a Mincha Minyan as a first ever Minyan in this location.
The article doesn’t mention that there were also chashuve conservative and reform rabbonim who serve as chaplains in attendance at the meeting as well as chaplains from other faiths. Kol Hakovod to these frum chaplains for participating in this event and NOT refusing to work with non-orthodox Rabbonim and priests and ministers in a combined effort to address critical needs for first-responder preparedness and event response. There is clearly no issur to such interfaith cooperation when it comes to emergency preparedness.
This makes me need to retch.
These are Torah leaders?!
Wow. This is indeed a true Kiddish Hashem – and their work is done without fanfare
Rabbi Carlebach of Chabad Lubavitch at Rutgers, NJ is truly a doer and a force for goodness and sanity. So too his son Rabbi Mendy Carlebach, are especially needed in a world that is into power-grabbing and monopolization of influence etc.
That Bobover Chossid Rabbi Sol Lipchitz of Brooklyn, NY and Rabbi Levi Stone of the Schneerson Center for Jewish Life CT, Inc. based in Westport, CT and others are doing the work of creating bridges and understanding between law enforcement and the Jewish citizenry is just wonderful. It is a good feeling to know that we have capable and Torah observant people in these important posts.
It’s important that the observant Jewish community be represented by their numbers – may they increase without end.
Enough already of people claiming to represent the Jewish community who speak and do the very acts that publicly flaunt basic rules of Jewish tradition and decency.
One egregious point is the recent Chillul Hashem of 15 “Reform Cantors” performing a sacred music recital in a Church in Rome!
Joshua S.
“first ever Minyan in this location”
Come on! There are plenty of orthodox Jews working for the CIA as analysts, etc. Why assume there was never someone who organized a minyan, perhaps because they were saying kaddish?
There is this constant self-aggrandizing, particularly by kiruv types to make frum jews believe that they are the only ones out there.If they tried this narisher claim with a MO audience three guys would have jumped with stories from their friends or relatives about some minyan at CIA headquarters.
Next they will claim that they had the first kosher meals at CIA HQ.
I can wait for them to claim this was the first time that someone with a bris walked into the building.
So this is what we are up against, where frum askanim are now involved in the world of cloak and dagger of espionage of an organization that is hated throughout the world as being responsible for overthrowing governments from Iran to Guatemala to Grenada to Iraq. Gevalt! Gevalt!
The CIA is not domestic law enforcement!!! In fact under the laws of the United States they have NO JURISDICTION in domestic civilian law enforcement. Can’t anyone discuss events intelligently?! The CIA is SOLELY responsible for gathering intelligence and doing clandestine operations. What does the CIA want? That Jewish rabbis serve as spies against WHOM exactly? Or that they should provide information for the CIA about WHOM exactly?!
#1 : The term “chashuve conservative and reform rabbonim” is an oxymoron of the highest order.
Rabbis Carlebach used to work for Chabad but after having arunin with his boss decided to join the chaplaincy. Hope he’s doing a good job there.
To # 15
Before you comment please know your facts!
Rabbi Carlebach never worked for Chabad he worked for the Rebbe,I guess thats were you and him differ. Its like saying do you work for Jew’s or G-D. If you go see Rabbi Carlebach’s office YES ITS THE BIGGEST CHABAD HOUSE IN THE WORLD!