I am proud to say that my Zaidy, now-retired Maj. Joseph Daina, and my great Zaidy, Lt. Col. Max Daina, were both Orthodox and were the only father-son active duty Jewish chaplains in the history of the U.S. army. They both followed the U.S. Army regulations and did not keep beards while serving during long careers in the army (“Don’t Ask, Don’t Shave,” Dec. 31).
I agree with Rabbi Bash, a former army chaplain. If Rabbi Stern doesn’t want to follow U.S. Army regulations, then he shouldn’t have applied to be a chaplain in the first place. I may only be 12 years old, but I understand that many Jewish soldiers can be helped, all while a chaplain follows U.S. army rules.
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