Rabbis Among Warriors

There is only one U.S. Air Force Jewish chaplain in Germany, a specialist in Jewish mysticism–and he is Capt. Morris Faierstein, 36, of Brooklyn, born in Orebro, Sweden.

He is a child of the Holocaust, with a different view of that era than one finds in the Jewish community “at home” in America.

Chaplain Faierstein’s “congregation” covers half of West Germany and Holland, with some of his “visitations” to U.S. Air Force stations as far away as Norway, covering 300 to 400 military personnel and families.

His official endorsement for his services in the military chaplaincy is from JWB Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy (JWB-CJC). He received his rabbinical training at the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative). Yet, some of his studies included training at the Aitz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, an outstanding Orthodox institution where he received “smicha” (ordination).

JWB-CJC FILLS UNIQUE ROLE FOR AMERICAN JEWRY

JWB-CJC is the prime agency directly charged with the recruitment and offical endorsement of all U.S. Jewish military and VA chaplains–Conservative, Orthodox, Reform–by the U.S. Department of Defense, a unique role in the American Jewish community. Thus, JWB-CJC is an ongoing agency pathfinder for ways to bring all wings of Judaism together, working in harmony to slove problems and to develop a national posture for the American Jewish community’s representation in the U.S. military.

Chaplain Faierstein is but one example of the broad-scale type of personality JWB-CJC brings Jewish chaplaincy–Rabbis among Warriors. The military chaplaincy goes back to formal recognition by the Continental Congress in 1775.

Today, in the age of faster-than-sound aircraft, missiles and nucleonics, the chaplain is a symbol of “Jewish identity” and “human identity” in the quest for Shalom, Peace–“the oldest wish and the newest hope.”

These new times bring new challenges to the U.S. armed forces stationed in Europe to preserve peace, which they have done for nearly 40 years.

The chaplain is a counselor for all servicemen, regardless of creed, in addition to his own faith “congregation.” Each chaplain has to wrestle, like Jacob with the angel in the Bible, with the problem: today’s problem centers on how to serve God and country in an age when Air Force, Army and Navy are often further and further from the new-concept battlefield, reached by devastating “push-button” weapons that may be operated by remote control.

In the military, theater-of-operations personal problems and those vast impersonal problems may merge and fall onto the chaplain’s lap. The chaplain has to be more than ready. The Jewish chaplain may expect to travel great distances regularly to seek out his scattered flock of Jewish servicemen and women and their dependents, who may be with them in today’s military community overseas, as well as U.S. civilians with the military.

USAFE RESPONSIBLE FOR 131,000 MILITARY AND CIVILIANS

There are about 131,000 individuals, military and civilian (the civilians outnumber the military), for whom the U.S. Air Force in Europe is responsible–in addition to the Air Force primary tactical and strategic missions.

Ramstein here, 50 miles from the French border, is the headquarters of Gen. Charles A. Donnelly, commander in chief of U.S. Air Forces, Europe (USAFE). A huge underground operations center is piled over with rocks, “self-sealing insurance” against possible bombing or nuclear strike, they say.

It is in this human and military context that Chaplain Faierstein operates, the lone Jewish chaplain in a vast military complex.

While Chaplain Faierstein’s congregation is spread far, there is a local instructional program for 25 children in the Ramstein area; and a dozen or more adults in an educational program on Tuesday nights, as well as religious services with the help of military volunteer “lay leaders.” The education programs vary from Jewish history courses to studies on the “parashah hashavua,” weekly readings from the Torah and the Prophets.

Chaplain Alston R. Chace, a colonel, an Episcopalian and command chaplain of USAFE, with “39 bases from England to Turkey.” understands Jewish concerns in the military.

“We must make Christian chaplains more aware of the needs of our Jewish chaplains and Jewish personnel,” he said firmly.

PROBLEMS LIKE NON-DENOMINATIONAL PRAYERS CROP UP

Sometimes problems crop up. Such as the use of non-denominational prayers, which are more proper than those of a specific creed, at public meetings. Also, attitudes of some military and hospital authorities toward such basic needs as “brit milah,” ritual circumcision of Jewish male children eight days after birth.

As a result, an educational and instructional order was sent out this summer by USAFE to all medical facilities, entitled “Circumcision of Newborn Males for Religious Reasons.” It notes with awareness born of (chaplaincy) wisdom:

“While routine circumcision of newborn males is no longer recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, circumcision for religious reasons is not considered routine.

“For example, circumcision of Jewish males is performed on the eighth day of life. The presence of parents and rabbi during the circumcision as well as performing of the circumcision on the eighth day are extremely importan tenets of the Jewish faith.

“All personnel involved in obstetrical and newborn care must be sensitive to these beliefs. Every consideration must be given to performance of ritual circumcision (unless there is definite medical contraindication) as is directed by the parents’ religious beliefs, even when this creates minor inconveniences for hospital staffs …”

A skilled pediatrician helps, too, in a big way. Capt. Phil Rogers (wife Abbie; son Matthew, 2), Jewish pediatrician (who also doubles as a volunteer lay leader in Chaplain Faierstein’s organized community) does the “brit” surgeries. This is an unusual specialty among pediatricians in the U.S. military, but is “problem-solving” for a chaplain like Rabbi Faierstein. Thus is safeguarded a basic right (and rite) of Judaism in the armed forces.

Two other interesting volunteer lay leaders at Ramstein Air Base are Maj. Marc J. Dinerstein, 36, of New Haven, Conn., and his wife Janice, a convert to Judaism. Janice teaches in the religious school. He is director of operations of Detachment 6 of the First Space Wing. Maj. Dinerstein is a futurist, a kind of “star wars” specialist. The eavens are his Jewish faith and his military profession. In the next five years, he expects a “unified” military space service for the Air Force, like the Marines for the Navy.

CHAPLAIN FAIERSTEIN’S WIFE IS A STAFF SERGEANT

Chaplain Faierstein, whose superiors recognize his learning and often comment on “his good sense of humor,” is also a warm host in his home, where he grinds his own coffee. His artistic wife, Ruth Anne, of Pensacola, Fla., is a staff sergeant whose skill is radio technology. Outside, there may be some question of who gives the commands, but none inside.

But Chaplain Faierstein is serious about Jewishness to his Air Force congregation. “Site visitations are important. People far away feel forgotten if no one shows an interest. A visitation from the chaplain shows them that somebody cares.” Being near the French border, he found that the French Army provides Kosher C-rations; he’d like the U.S. to do so, too.

Being in the Germany of the Holocaust does not disturb him now, though he is a child of survivors.

“This is a different Germany,” due to the generational changes, he asserts.

“Sometimes I think the American Jewish community has appropriated the Holocaust for its own ends–using it either to get people to remain Jewish or for fundraising.

CHAPLAIN’S PARENTS BOTH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

“My parents are both Holocaust survivors. I have my obsession not with the Holocaust but with the East European Jewry, who were destroyed and their way of life destroyed. What about this civilization, this Eastern culture, other than ‘Fiddler on the Roof’? Who really cares?

“There is more overt anti-Semitism in walking down some streets in New York than on the streets of West Germany today.

“My endeavor is, in a scholarly way, to build a monument to East European life and culture … to a world destroyed.”

As for the Holocaust, he says, “the history of mysticism somewhat simplistically makes the statement:

“‘Those who know, don’t speak about it; and those who speak about it, don’t know.'”

He added: “As for me, when you are close to something, you have a different perspective than when you are far from it.”

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