It’s time to start thinking about ordering supplies for Pesach.  This year Passover begins at sundown, Saturday, April 19, 2008 and concludes at nightfall on Sunday, April 27, 2008.

Passover Seder kits are available from the Defense Logistic Agency (DLA).  These kits must be ordered ASAP in order to insure their arrival before Passover.  There are two different Passover Seder kits.  The Rabbi/Leader kit (NSN 9925 - 01 - 526 - 3373) is for persons leading the Passover Seder.  The participant kit (NSN 9925 - 01 - 526 - 3364) is for those attending the Passover Seder.  Personnel unable to attend a community Passover Seder who plan to conduct their own private Seder should order the Rabbi/Leader kit.  Each kit contains all items necessary for two Passover Seders.

Jewish personnel should try their best to eat Kosher for Passover food during the holiday.  The DLA also has available Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) especially for Passover use.  The NSN is 8970 - 01 - 524- 8003 .  There are twelve meals per case.  Each case contains 8 meat and 4 fish meals.

Personnel requiring Passover Seder kits and Kosher for Passover meals should immediately contact their unit chaplain, Jewish chaplain or lay leader to advise them of their needs.  Any order should also consider additional incoming personnel who may arrive prior to Passover.

All of the above can be ordered for any Jewish service member where ever they may be stationed. Even if they are located in the US, Passover meals and seder kits can be ordered for them. One does not need to be deployed to order these items.

Every service member should be familiar with the DLA pamphlet “Happenings ... Ecclesiastical News for 2006 - 2007.” This DLA pamphlet contains all the stock numbers for a variety of religious supplies in addition to Passover items paid for by appropriated funds i.e. the military’s money.  Your chaplain should have a copy available.  Please note that the pamphlet contains the names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers for all the POC’s in the ordering process at DLA.

Chaplains should work with Food Service personnel to ensure all Passover Seder kits are ordered with Ms. Maryann Bonk at DLA.  Ms. Bonk’s e-mail address is :

Ms. Deborah Sinno is available to assist with ordering Passover MRE.  Ms. Sinno’s e-mail address is: 

It is strongly recommended that any individual service member or Lay Leader establish a good working relationship early on with his or her unit chaplain or the installation chaplain.

You can download a pamphlet from the DLA that includes all contact info and details on the kits and rations themselves.

A great site was forwarded to me last night.

The military often puts us at bases or posts far away from larger Jewish communities.  Subsequently, there can be a paucity of any kind of materials relevant to Judaism.  For broadband Internet users, however, there is now the Jewish Tv Network, which has programming pertaining to both Jewish life and Israel.

The Internet is opening new doors for yiddishkeit all the time.  My first duty station in the early 90s was Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and while there was a vibrant lay-run community there at the time, these wonderful online resources were a promise yet unfulfilled.

Enjoy!

The DLA has processed the purchasing for all of the Kosher for Passover Meals that have been ordered so far.  The contractor this year, LaBriute, will produce some excess for late orders.  These meals come 12 meals per case.  Each person would need 2 cases for the 8 days of Passover 3-10 APR 2007.  The cut off date is extended to 1 MAR 2007 for any late orders.  Please pass this to anyone who may identify a requirement that still needs to be ordered.  The Leader Seder Kits and the Participant Seder Kits are also available to be ordered up to 1 March 2007 through our DLA Ecclesiastical Supplies Program.

For details on the contents and ordering procedures, see this article.

Additionally, if you are having issues with funding for seder kits or don’t have access to DLA ordering, the JWB has a solo Seder kit donor that wants to cover you. The main donor wants to cover all Navy folks, but there are options for the other services as well.  The JWB asks that everyone please reach out to all the contacts you have to ensure everyone who needs it is covered.  They will fill orders from any POC with a ship’s address.

For more information, contact at the JWB.

• FREE Tax Software for Active Duty Military (starting Jan 15th)
• New Housing Alowance Rates
• myPay imporvements
• Army doubles referral bonus
• Veterans preference for federal employment

Chaplains and lay leaders need to get their Chanukah and more importantly their Passover orders in soon.

If you have not already ordered your Chanukah supplies, download this form and submit it to the JWB ASAP.  Your best bet is to email it to directly.  The requested date is today (the 27th), but better late than never.

This year Passover begins at sundown, Monday, April 2, 2007 and concludes at nightfall on Tuesday, April 10.

It may seem early to be thinking about Passover, but with the quantity of items along with the logistics involved, leaders need to place their orders as soon as possible, especially for those deployed overseas, if you want to ensure they get there on time.

There are two different Passover Seder kits.  The Rabbi/Leader kit (NSN # 9925-01-526-3373) is for persons leading the seder.  The participant kit (NSN # 9925-01-526-3364) is for those attending the seder. Personnel unable to attend a community seder who plan to conduct their own private Seder should order the Rabbi/Leader kit.  Each kit contains all items necessary for two Passover Seders.

Chaplains in the Southwest Asia area of operations should work with Food Service personnel to ensure all Passover supply requests are sent to CW4 Peter Gaber, CFLCC C4.  CW4 Gaber is in Kuwait.  He is responsible for ensuring that SWA Passover supplies are rolled-up and ordered through DLA.  CW4 Gaber’s e-mail address is:

Chaplains in other areas should work with Food Service personnel to ensure all Passover Seder kits are ordered with Ms. Maryann Bonk at DLA.  Ms. Bonk’s e-mail address is :

Ms. Deborah Sinno is available to assist with ordering Passover MRE.  Ms. Sinno’s e-mail address is : 

For further information regarding the kits, you can download the DLA pamphlet here.

In an effort to provide the American Thanksgiving with a little traditional Jewish flavor, I put together a little pamphlet with some suggested reading, prayers, songs for the occasion.  This little tool can be found at www.thejewishsoldier.com A great “ice breaker” to help share with non-Jewish friends some traditional Jewish prayers and stories during the Thanksgiving meal. 

Good health and happiness to you, your family and friends.  May you have countless blessings to recall happily this Thanksgiving.

HAG SAMEACH and a speedy return to all who are away this season.

It is hard being a Jewish single in the military.  We keep hearing about how we are supposed to meet and marry Jews, but where are they?  How should we go about meeting the local Jewish community and the singles there?

One solution is to turn to JRetromatch.com.  This is a website where you are assigned a matchmaker to help you find the person you are looking for.  Your personal information will only be viewable by other clients if they are matched with you.  Otherwise, you will retain your privacy while a professional helps you to find happiness in a relationship.

I am a matchmaker on JRetromatch and I am happy to work with any member of the military.  Please pass on the word to all of your friends.

Rabbi Tracy Kaplowitz
Chaplain, 1Lt, USAFR

A Set of Zohar From the “Kabbalah Centre”

Rabbi Yonatan Shani writes:  “Please note that [a set of Zohar] is made of 23 volumes, and that we would love to see it in every military base possible, so please pass the news to everyone, and have them contact me if they would like to receive a set of Zohar.  At the same time, we also offer the free mini Zohar book that one can carry in his pocket, to all the individuals that would be interested in doing so.”

For more information on how to get order your FREE set of Zohar for your Jewish Studies Program at your base or post, contact
.

I received my set a couple of weeks ago and have begun to incorporate its lessons into my weekly Torah Study and Dvar sessions.  A stunning addition to any Jewish Community Library.

For more information about the Kabbalah Centre visit their website.

Don’t forget to check out www.thejewishsoldier.com for additional Lay Leader study/resource information.  Also announcing a special Ebay auction of the limited edition printing of “The Jewish Soldier.”

Is your family in need of assistance with postage for your care packages?  Need a phone card?  Want a care package?  Check out these sites for assistance:

• www.operationhomelink.org - Free computers for spouses or parents of deployed soldiers in ranks E1 - E5.
• www.operationuplink.org - Free phone cards.
• anysoldier.com - To sign up for sponsoring soldier care packages for theater.
• www.operationshoebox.com - free shoebox care package.
• www.treatthetroops.org -free cookies.
• bluestarmoms.org/airfare.html - lowest airfare available.
• bluestarmoms.org/care.html - free care packages.
• www.heromiles.org - free air travel for Emergency Leave, and for the family members of injured soldiers to travel to Medical facility.
• www.bluestarmothers.org - Airline discounts for R & R.
• www.booksforsoldiers.com - free books, DVD’s, CD’s.
• www.militarymoms.net - free care packages (your family member signs up to have sent to you).
• operationmilitarypride.org - free care packages.
• www.soldiersangels.org - get adopted to receive stuff.
• www.treatsfortroops.com - free gifts and care packages.
• DefenseLink News - free shipping/packing materials for shipping to troops.

Don’t forget to visit www.thejewishsoldier.com for your Lay Leader study materials or for your own personal weekly Torah study.  Read it, hear it, enjoy it.  L’Shana Tovah to all Deployed Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors throughout the world!  May you be written in the Book of Life for a happy and healthy new year!

Military Resources

• Army Childcare Program - The Army is testing a new childcare program which is designed to offer military families more childcare options.
• Income Replacement for Reservists and Guardsmen - New program pays eligible mobilized members the difference between their monthly civilian pre-mobilization income and their current total monthly military compensation.
• Navy Officer Scholarship Program - Officers can enroll in graduate school on a full-time basis, receive full pay and allowances, and be reimbursed for moving costs.
• Servicemember’s Rights - Department of Justice website that outlines the rights servicemembers have under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
• Online Uniform Store for Deployed Soldiers - Deployed Army Soldiers can now order entire new uniforms (nametapes and patches included) online.

Show Support

• Let’s Say Thanks - FREE program by Xerox.  Pick a postcard, write a message, hit send.  They print it and deliver it to a deployed service member.
• Prayer for Our Servicemen - Download an English & Hebrew prayer for our servicemen. (PDF)

Other Great Stuff

• Jews in Blue - The Jewish American Experience in Law Enforcement.  A new book by Dr. Jack Kitaeff.
• If you are anywhere near Conroe, North Houston, Spring, or Tomball, Texas and would like the services of a free Hebrew teacher, contact .