Hi, I am currently a college student in New York, though I grew up an expat overseas in the Netherlands. I was hoping somebody could shed light on two questions for me:

Being a woman and non-egalitarian, could I be of use as a chaplain if I did not lead *formal* davening?

Being an observant Jew in the US military seems like very lonely business at times. Is it less of a problem for chaplains than it is for others in different types of military service?

Any response would be very much appreciated. Thanks,

Rebecca

Rebecca,

Welcome to the site.  While you could be of use as a chaplain without leading services, I would highly discourage it.  This is a big role for Jewish chaplains and it would be very frustrating for Jewish troops to finally get a rabbi in town, only to discover that we still won’t have someone to lead services.

However, from what I gather from your questions, your bigger hurdle would be the issue of being a rabbi.  In order to be a Jewish chaplain, you must be an ordained rabbi.  If you come from a non-egalitarian background, then I doubt that this is an option for you.

Another important aspect of being a chaplain is dealing with Jews from all walks of life and all ranges of observance.  The vast majority of (but not all) Jews in the service are not Orthodox.  It doesn’t mean an Orthodox chaplain has to abandon his or her beliefs, but you need to be open to meeting the needs of those with different practices.

You could certainly be useful as a lay leader, but I would probably advise against pursuing the chaplaincy if you are completely closed to the idea of leading services.

You are correct that being an observant Jew in the military can be lonely at times, but there are plenty out there that do it.  You would most definitely be less isolated and have more resources available as a chaplain than in any other occupation.

Best of luck with your decision, and let me know if you have any more questions.

According to decisions made at the last JWB Jewish Chaplains’ Conference that I just got home from yesterday (today is 9 Nov 07), all Jewish Chaplains are required to lead Shabbos services every week either on Friday night or Saturday day. Any chaplain who is not in compliance with this directive may apply for a waiver but risks losing their endorsement. This policy is just a few days old and I’m sure it will be debated and refined in the coming weeks/months, as it certainly was debated among the chaplains in attendance. However, the Air Force Chief of Chaplains (not a Jew, but in attendance) wondered out loud why we need Jewish Chaplains in the Air Force who don’t lead services every week.
I agree with Capt Rubin that you would be very useful and successful as a Lay Leader, but the chaplaincy is probably not the right place for you.
I’m a Chaplain Canddiate in Yeshiva in Monsey, if you want to meet in person to discuss the military I’d be happy to do so.

Hi Rebecca - Only from my son do I know about any of this, so my input is very limited. I do know on the bases he’s been at the Jewish Marines have a really difficult time with formal services. When he was in boot at MCRD they had a wonderful couple who did the services, very small, of corse, but wonderful for the guys.

Don’t know anything about bases in your part of the country. Lay leaders were extremely difficult to find, I do know that, as they’re all volunteers.

My son still writes the Jewish Lay Leader at MCRD, he meant that much to him. That couple changed my son’s life, they brought him back to Judism. So it can mean an awful lot to these young guys!
Theresa