Jews in Green has a brand new section called The Green Pages.  The idea is to compile and keep an up to date list of Jewish resources at duty stations around the globe.

This will be mostly powered by readers like you.  So send us what information you have and we’ll post it!  There is a very easy to use form in the Green Pages section so you can submit the information directly from the website. 

Right now it’s a very short list, but I think it will grow rather quickly.  We would always be interested in volunteers to do a little research beyond the gates of their own base too.

Two great resources for service members:

Homes for Our Troops is a new nonprofit group is raising money to build houses adapted to their needs.  John Gonsalves, a construction supervisor from Wareham, Massachusetts was concerned about the welfare of troops returning home with disabilities from the war on terror.  Only seven weeks after Homes for Our Troops began raising money, more than $100,000 in donations have rolled in, as well as $50,000 in labor and building materials.  For more information you can email the organization at .

Troops to Teachers is a U.S. Dept. of Education and DOD program that helps eligible military personnel begin a new career as teachers in public schools.  Most service members may not realize this, but much of your military service can count towards eligibility for a teacher certification.  There are 33 TTT offices nationwide that can assist military members with state certification requirements and provide significant financial assistance. Service members can take advantage of the TTT Web site, www.ProudToServeAgain.com, to correspond with representatives and receive alternative certification information.  There is an in-depth article on About.com about the history and details of the program.

Shavuot begins Tuesday evening, May 25, and continues until Thursday evening, May 27, 2004.

Shavuot seems to be one of those lesser known holidays in the Jewish calendar, so for those (myself included) who could use a little more explanation, About.com has a great article about the holiday’s customs, history, and even some Shavuot recipes.

For the more advanced readers, be sure to check out Aish’s full Shavuot spread.

While not about Jews in the U.S. military, Howard Blum’s The Brigade tells the story of the first all Jewish military unit in modern times.  The Jewish Brigade was formed by the British army with Jewish volunteers from British Palestine at the end of World War II.

This is by far one of my favorite books.  It is highly motivating to read about Jewish soldiers wreaking havoc on Nazi troops in Europe.  There’s a lot more to this book than a few military battles though.  You can read my full review to learn more. 

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Jews in Green has recently gone through a MAJOR upgrade.  I’ll spare our readers the technical details, but the new software JIG is running on now provides you, the user with a lot more features, more security, and a better overall online experience.

We now offer free membership, which will allow you greater access to the site and some added features.  You should also expect to start seeing guest writers on the site, something the new software will help with as well.

As with anything new, there are some chances for bugs or website errors.  I’ve thoroughly tested everything to try and eliminate this, but if you run into any problems anywhere on the website, let us know.

Army Specialist Joe Kashnow (our featured Jew this month) and his wife Sarai have established the Jewish Soldier Foundation. The JSF's mission is to "provide support, services and advocacy for and on behalf of our Jewish bretheren who have committed themselves to defending freedom, democracy, and other G-dly values."

There has been a great deal of press coverage about SPC Kashnow's injury he received in Iraq, but there hasn't been much written about the Jewish Soldier Foundation itself. Since the JSF and Jews in Green are both working towards improving life for Jews in the U.S. military, what better place to spotlight his new organization than here? Click on "Full Story" to read more.

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For our inaugural "Question of the Month" in the forums, I've chosen a somewhat controversial question:

What religion is stamped on your dog tags?

vote here (you must log in to vote)

While this would seem to be a simple question for Jews, many people have concerns (justified or not) about consequences that may befall a service member in Iraq or any country hostile towards Jews.

The JTA just posted a story about the gruesome execution of Nicholas Berg in Iraq and the possible connection to him being Jewish. Although the JTA seems to lean towards there being a relation to that fact, they do offer two sides to the issue from none other than Rabbi Ackerson and SPC Joe Kashnow.

Evidently, the Army doesn't agree with that statement. A group of World War II paratroopers planned to parachute into Normandy to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion there. Unfortunately their plans were cut short when the Army said that the men were too old to make the jump.

Howard Greenberg, a Jewish soldier from the 11th Airborne who served in the Pacific, said that he planned to jump to honor two of his Jewish friends killed in the war. Greenberg did the same jump in 1994 for the 50th anniversary at the ripe age of 69.

While I can't completely fault the Army for not wanting to take a risk with men of this age, I have to give these guys credit. I mean this is the definition of chutzpah!

If anyone has any stories or photos from the jump in 1994, please email them to me or post them as a comment.

A few weeks ago LTC Mitchell Ackerson, the Army's top Jewish Chaplain in Iraq, returned home to his family in Baltimore.

Rabbi Ackerson left some awfully big shoes to fill in Iraq. The Baltimore Jewish Times recently wrote an incredibly in-depth article about his adventures in Iraq and his heartwarming return to the States. This is kind of the Everything You Wanted to Know About Jewish Soldiers in Iraq article. I would even dare to say it's a must read.

One of Rabbi Ackerson's most notable (among hundreds of) incredible accomplishments was the Passover Seder in Sadaam's Palace.

God bless, and Yesher Koach Rabbi Ackerson!

About Judaism has an article about Judaism's views on war. The main focus is the attempt to balance the value of maintaining human life with the necessity of fighting a war.

There's nothing groundbreaking here, but it certainly seems to be a relevant topic considering current events. In fact, we could all do a little good by reading and emulating some of the fundamental principles in the article.

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