Hebrew Union College in Los Angles Invites Rabbinic Students to Consider Serving as Military Chaplains

(Below is reprinted with permission an email sent by Rabbi Dvora Weisberg to HUC’s rabbinic students in Los Angeles.)

Dear Students,

On Monday, November 14, during lunch time, Rabbi Harold Robinson of the Jewish Welfare Board will be speaking about opportunities for rabbis to serve as military chaplains.

The Armed Services has a shortage of Jewish chaplains. Moreover, the number of those chaplains who are liberal rabbis is also small. As a result, many Jewish servicemen and women have inadequate access to rabbis in general and to rabbis comfortable with their beliefs and practices in particular.

Under these circumstances, I want to encourage anyone who might be interested in serving in the military as a chaplain, whether as a long-term career path or for a few years after ordination, to come to Rabbi Robinson’s presentation.

He will be able to provide information about applications, training (which is often done during summers in rabbinical school), positions and compensation. If you are interested in pursuing this course, Rabbi Robinson will be happy to help you through the application process.

We are delighted that with the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell the opportunity to support our servicemen and women is now open to all of our students. We hope to see you at lunch.

Rabbi Dvora E. Weisberg, Ph.D.
Director of the School of Rabbinic Studies
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
3077 University Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 749-3424
dvoraweisberg@huc.edu

And read the JTA article “From soldier to rabbi, one Afghanistan war veteran takes unusual path”