Miami, FL – The Aleph Institute, a South Florida based organization which provides for the needs of both incarcerated Jews and Jews who serve in the military, hosted a special four day training event for Jewish chaplains and lay leaders culminating in a special Shabbos hosted by the Shul in Bal Harbour.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
In addition to boosting morale by bringing together Jewish chaplains from all over the world, training sessions offered advice on how to reach out to Jews in the military and how to deal with the day to day stress that is part and parcel of serving in the military.
The highlight of the event for fifty attendees was a Shabbos spent with the Jewish residents and guests of Bal Harbour. Nearly 400 people joined together for the Friday night meal which featured speeches by Major General Douglas Carver, Chief of Chaplains, United States Army, Rear Admiral Mark F. Heinrich, Supply Corps, Unites States Navy and Major General David Rubenstein, Commander, Army Medical Command, Brooke Army Center.
Two of the soldiers present had their Bar Mitzvahs on Shabbos as they were called up to the Torah for their first aliyah ever.
“It was truly inspiring that so many people turned out for the meal to show their appreciation for our Jewish military members,” said Rabbi Menachem M. Katz, Director of Prison and Military Outreach at the Aleph Institute in an exclusive interview with VIN News. “To have 50 uniforms in Shul, getting aliyos, davening for the amud, doing hagba-gelila, it was amazing.”
Aside from sending holiday packages for every Jewish holidy to over 100 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine bases, the Aleph Institute sends specially designed camouflage siddurim, chumashim and tefillin to soldiers all over the world.
kol hakavod to Aleph!!
A GREAT AND AMAZING EVENT FOR KLAL YISROEAL
THANKS RO RABBI LIPSKER AND RABBI KATZ
G-d bless the uniformed members of the United States Militaries.
The Jewish Chaplains were part of the glue that held us young Jewish soldiers together during the Viet Nam War era. The post Synagogue was a place of normalcy for many away from home for the first time. Those of us in the deep south although serving our country were still exposed to anti Jewish bias…and were discouraged from attending services…but we went.