My brother is at boot now, and (unless he gets sick or something) he’s graduating only a few days after Yom Kippur. Since the training would be winding down by that part, do you think he’d be able to observe Yom Kippur at all?

(This is partly to see if I have anything I could tell my grandma, since she’s been giving us a whole schpiel about him being at Parris Island over the high holies.)

Your brother just needs to talk to the chaplain - especially now that the crucible makes him a Marine a week in advance of those of us who were in before it.  The chaplain will know what to do and he won’t be the only one worried about Yom Kippur and even I managed it back in the 1990s so I assume it has only gotten better.

There is not a Jewish chaplain on base at PI, but your brother can speak to a chaplain of any faith with his request.  Also if he is not already attending Jewish services, he absolutely should!  I have extremely fond memories of services on the Island.  I’m sure the topic has come up at services.

In addition, I have sent you a private message with information on contacting the Jewish Lay Leader there.

Keep us posted and let us know how things go.

He should have no problem getting to the service. I was At MCRD San Diego a few years ago for Yom Kippur and they actually put me in a van and drove me to a synagogue because they didn’t have a service on base. If he has looked into it at all, he should be fine. If he hasn’t talked to anyone yet, His DI’s, the RP, and the Chaplain are all good places to start.