Spring Valley, N.Y – Skullcap Keeps From Serving in Coast Guard

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    Spring Valley, N.Y – Mr. Rosenberg, a 34-year-old tire technician and a certified pilot signed up for the Coast Guard Auxiliary last year, hoping to fly on search-and-rescue missions and the like. He underwent a full military background check. He had several sets of fingerprints taken. He passed the boating test and the written course.

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    “But as soon as I got sworn in and got ready to put on the uniform,” Mr. Rosenberg said, “the commander came to me and said it’s going to be a problem.”

    The problem was on top of Mr. Rosenberg’s head. He is a Hasidic Jew, and he wears a skullcap at all times except when showering or swimming. The skullcap clashed with the uniform. Wearing a visible piece of religious garb violates Coast Guard regulations. It says so in the Coast Guard manual.

    Mr. Rosenberg’s main skullcap, a black velvet model, is about six inches across. On occasions when Coast Guard protocol calls for wearing the official cap, including most outdoor activities, it would conceal the skullcap. But indoors, auxiliarists are not supposed to wear their caps.

    Mr. Rosenberg said his flotilla commander, tried to accommodate him. “Is it possible,” Commander Ramirez asked in an e-mail message, “that you could wear a ‘miniature’ yarmulke, small enough to be concealed by your hair?”

    It would have to be very small indeed. Mr. Rosenberg is bald on top.

    Commander Ramirez referred the matter to his supervisors, to no avail.

    A relative referred Mr. Rosenberg to a state assemblyman in Brooklyn, Dov Hikind, who has many Orthodox constituents. Mr. Hikind wrote on March 7 to the commandant of the Coast Guard, that turning away a willing volunteer might not be a good idea. The commandant has not responded. But as it turns out, the Coast Guard’s uniform board has its annual meeting this week in Washington.

    One item up for discussion is whether to relax the restrictions on religious accessories to bring them in line with armed forces policy. The policy chief for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Steve Minutolo, said he expected a change.

    “Do you know how long my beard is?” Mr. Rosenberg asked. He reached under his chin, undid a hidden black rubber band, and pulled and teased and pulled and teased until two long locks of hair flowed down from his chin to his navel.

    “You just have to keep it up,” he said. Because the rule is, as long as he keeps his beard less than half an inch long. Or at least, as long as it looks as if he does.


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    2 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    17 years ago

    I KNOW HIM PERSONLY HE IS ONE OF THE R’ BROS ROPO PORO

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    18 years ago

    he is also a member in caverim of rackland county, he was honored a plag by the ramapo pd for rescuing a child last summer.