Capt. Allen Shapero, who has been commanding officer of the Pearl Harbor Naval Station since last June, is the first Jew to hold that post, according to the Hawaii Jewish News.
The 52-year-old Shapero, who come to Hawaii after serving as administrative assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C., was born in Chester, Pa. , and grew up in Baltimore, Md. He joined the Navy in 1944 and decided to stay on after World War II.
In an interview with Kirk Cashmere of the Hawaii Jewish News, Shapero said that being in the Navy has broadened his background by exposure to various ethnic and religious groups and strengthened his Judaism. He said he was not aware of any anti-Semitism in the Navy and added that it was not difficult being Jewish in the Navy, although being Orthodox is. But, he noted, the Navy provides 30 days of annual leave and an Orthodox Jew could use that to observe Jewish holidays.
Shapero said that the military is becoming more attractive to Jews. He also told the newspaper that he would like to improve the relationship between Jews in the military here and the local Jewish community which is not as close as in the mainland areas where he had served.
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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.
