This is the story of a hypnotic chaplain.
He is Capt. Hillel Smulowitz, of Brooklyn, a product of Ner Israel Yeshiva and St. Ignatius Loyola College, Baltimore. Hypnosis is an extra arrow in his spiritual bow of help to the needy.
Chaplain Smulowitz, a quiet fellow with a wry sense of humor, describes himself as the “longest circuit riding rabbi in Europe.” His sector under USAEUR (U.S. Army, Europe) “covers 11 installations and military communities of approximately 600 square miles.”
“I DON’T CIRCUIT RIDE BY HORSEBACK”
He noted that “I don’t circuit ride by horseback like they did in the olden days.” Instead he travels by plane, train and car.
“Sixty percent or more of my time is spent on the move.
“A military chaplain is responsible for ministering to the needs of his people, and for supporting the welfare and morale of all military and related civilian personnel, whatever their faith.
“Among the Jewish military in my extended congregation are about 400 families. More show up as new personnel come on duty.”
Like his “military congregations,” Chaplain Smulowitz’ sons are on an additional “circuit” –son Yitzhak Kevin, 17, lives with him in Tirrenia, a suburb of Pisa (of “leaning tower” fame). Soon Yitzhak will go off to a technical-engineering school. The chaplain’s three other sons are Naftali, 18 1/2, in “Hesder,” the Israel program that combines yeshiva-religious study with military training; Yonatan, 14, and Shmuel, 12, both in school in Israel.
Col William D. Kutac, 45, of San Antonio, commander of the 8th Support Group at Camp Darby (outside of Livorno), and the related “military community,” stressed the need for chaplains.
CHAPLAINS PROVIDE ACCESS TO RELIGIOUS IDENTITY
“Our chaplains are absolutely essential so that soldiers and their families will have access to their religious identity and practices through their respective chaplaincy,” Col. Kutac said.
He made these points:
The “constitutionality of our chaplaincy is founded on the religious right of Americans to have chaplains in the military.
“Our war reserve mission here is ‘ammunition plus’–plus maintenance that rebuilds trucks, jeeps and cars; postal services; hospital services and medical evacuation; legal services; air deliveries; a military community of more than 3,500 individuals.
“Our public relations with the Italians couldn’t be better.”
“For reasons of national sovereignty and local concerns, the host nation (in this case Italy) is responsible for security directly outside U.S. installations.”
PINE TREES BORDER SPRAWLING CAMP DARBY
Unique “umbrella pines” set off the Camp Darby training area and the sprawling campsite here which has huge warehouses for U.S.-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) “support below the Alps.” Here BBKs (Bare Base Kits–including Jewish and Christian chaplaincy supplies) are ready with tents, bedding, washers, driers, field kitchen equipment and other human needs to set up “a city of 1,100” at a moment’s notice.
Such is the military-social environment in which the chaplain operates as a beacon of “normalcy” in a hectic world striving to preserve the peace of free Europe.
NATO has managed to retain that deterrent-peace for 40 years since World War Two.
“Rabbis among Warriors” is the commitment of the American Jewish community to Jewish identity in the U.S. Armed Forces.
This is accomplished by the JWB Commission on “Jewish Chaplaincy (JWB-CJC), the endorsing agency of all Jewish chaplains for the Department of Defense (DOD).
That JWB-Department of Defense relationship for the Jewish chaplaincy is one of the most unusual working associations.
JWB-CJC BRINGS 3 WINGS OF JUDAISM TOGETHER
Further, JWB-CJC brings all three wings of Judaism together to work for the benefit of Jewish families in the military.
The “new” Army, Navy and Air Force overseas has thousands of family-civilians “on-station,” as it were. This is a new challenge.
JWB-CJC is also an example for Jewish civil society to emulate. JWB-CJC’s role in the military has yet to be fully recognized by the American Jewish community.
It is in such varied overseas environments that talented chaplains like Rabbi Smulowitz go about their duties quietly, diligently and unobtrusively. Unlike most Christian chaplains, Jewish chaplains do not have their congregations near at hand and must “seek their brothers” over a wide military disapora.
CHAPLAIN SMULOWITZ KNOWN AS “HYPNOTIC RABBI”
Around Camp Darby and the far-flung 8th Support Group Command of Southern Europe, Chaplain Smulowitz is familiarly known as the “hypnotic rabbi.”
He brings a different dimension to his usual duties.
Livorno (Leghorn) was once an illustrious seaport city of Tuscany, with a bustling Jewish population possessing full political rights and imbued with the thrill of learning and full of enterprise. Sir Moses Montefiore was born here. So Livorno is a meaningful setting for a Jewish military chaplain from modern-day America.
Jewish history is all around Chaplain Smulowitz. In nearby Pisa, the famous “leaning tower” casts its shadow over the nearby Hebrew cemetery and synagogue, virtually forgotten today. Few visitors, Jewish or gentile, are aware of them.
Chaplain Smulowitz brings his own special contribution of deep-tradition and help for people in distress through hypnosis.
“Hypnosis is a tool I use in my counseling for families and individuals–an effective tool. Besides, hypnosis gives me a wider exposure to different people.”
HYPNOSIS HELPS PEOPLE SOLVE PROBLEMS
“I have used it as a tremendous aid in helping people to solve their own concerns. For example, people with personality problems, poor self-image or lack of self-confidence, inter-family relationships, weight control, smoking, pain control in a hospital setting.
“I have taught many physicians and dentists to use hypnosis for themselves or on patients. I have even taught people self-hypnosis to relax and to ease the strain of long working days under the heavy responsibility of military duty.”
Less well known and talked about is another phase of Chaplain Smulowitz’ special talents.
“We use hypnosis to train military intellegence personnel.”
Chaplain Smulowitz smiled enigmatically and politely declined to elaborate.
He sees the Jewish chaplain as special to the military service in other ways as well. He cites these specifics:
“The Jewish chaplain tends to be more isolated as the widespread members of his military congregation and their families are also more isolated.
“There is a need for more Jewish chaplains to help those who have to cover such large areas of free Europe.
“Intermarriage is a problem, but it is no more of a problem than in civilian life.
“In military life, there is a greater challenge to live Jewishly because you do not have the Jewish support system or facilities you have in civilian life.”
JEWISH CHAPLAINS BRING ‘YIDDISHKEIT’ TO JEWS
“Jewish chaplaincy bestows its own rewards because you know you are unique in many ways. You are part of a small group bringing ‘Yiddishkeit’ to those Jews in the military who are far from home and who need Jewish motivation.
“I would urge more Jewish men and women to come into the military because it is a learning and maturing experience.” The “hypnotic-rabbi” also has direct spiritual-social advice on “how to handle stress” in modern life, civilian or military. It is replete with Jewish “tachlis”: “Be aware of the stress” we all must face. “Face up to it.”
“Find the things that bring joy to your life, that make you feel good about life and about yourself, and do them.” Rabbis among warriors; both aim at one goal–Shalom — Peace.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
