I finally attended religious services off-base at the Touro Synagogue. It is the oldest synagogue in the country. As for protocol, I went in my summer white uniform. When I first arrived, some people stared at me. Though seeing Jews in uniform is not uncommon to them since this is a NAVY town, seeing a female in uniform and a chaplain no less was something of spectacle. After the Torah was read, the prayer for the American and Israeli military was read in the Hebrew. This was the first time that I had heard it while in uniform on active duty. They are praying for me, I realized. I became emotional; that same kind of emotional response when I see the flag flying in the breeze or when I sing Hatkvah. It is a deep response for which I have no name. It is a mixture of pride, understanding and acceptance of the blessing. You are praying that when I supersede to active duty, that I come home when all is said and done.
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