Postscript

I did not realize the profound impact my time aboard the USS GW would have on me.
I am forever grateful to everyone who made my ADT possible.
With respect and appreciation in my heart, thank you Command Chaplain Mode, Chaplain Underhill, RP1 Stoneking, Rabbi Robinson, Chaplain Kitzman and Chief Brown for everything you taught me, allowed me to do and to discover.

May I have the honor and privilege of working with you again. 

(From left to right: Chaplain Kitzman, Chief Brown, George Washington, Chaplain Creditor, Chaplain Mode)

Second Evening Prayer

BM: Stand by for the evening prayer.

Chaplain: Good Evening George Washington.

This evening’s prayer comes from Exodus 39:42 in describing how the portable tabernacle was assembled .  It reads, “According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel made all the work.”

Creator of All,

We thank you for the port call in Guam,

For the MWR who organized so much for us, giving us the chance to reenergize.

Help us to refocus, to remember that every job, no matter what it may be, is valuable.

As the tabernacle’s creation required every person’s commitment and speciality, so too does our daily life. Remind us, that each of us plays a role that no-one else can fill.

As the island of Guam disappears on the horizon, help us to rededicate ourselves to our jobs, our mission, and each other.

May it be your will. Lord our God, Creator of the Universe, who has brought each of us together in this time and in this place to achieve something greater than ourselves.

As is said in Hebrew, KANE YEHI RATZON, so may it be.

Be at peace, George Washington. 

Yom Kippur

How do I describe to you what life aboard ship is like? Here's an example.

Everyone is assembled. The ark is open and I have begun the Kol Nidrei liturgy and...

...the captain gets onto the 1MC and begins to talk to us for about 8 minutes. 

(The stained glass window is in the chapel of the USS George Washington of George Washington kneeling in prayer)

We just lowered the volume of the 1MC and went back to services. 

So what could happen during Yom Kippur day? A "Man Overboard" drill. 

That means you have less than 7 minutes to make it to your muster point where attendance is taken. If you are late, they start calling your name out over the 1MC. 

Services that were scheduled for 1 hour is now down to 30 minutes. Shorted Yom Kippur services ever. 

All I could do was laugh.

Semper Gumbi.

Thank You USY!

We arrived in Guam for liberty. 

While there, I participated in a COMREL or sometimes called a COMSERV (community relations project or community service project)

It’s basically a SATO (social actions, Tikun Olam) project. 

Who knew that being a youth director would come in handy?! Thank you USY.

We visited a middle school and talked about what we do and what life is like aboard ship. 

I drew comparisons between their community and the community of the ship. I have a post office, you have a post office...

The interesting point is that the kids have grown up so assimilated to American culture that they have lost their own Chamorro (native Guam) ways.

To combat this, the school system incorporated a Chamorro language, traditions and customs class into the curriculum. It's like Hebrew school during the day. 

Standing in Judgement

We teach that only God has the right to judge us and during the 10 days of repentance, we ask God to judge us mercifully. 

While aboard ship, we do not wait for Yom Kippur to pass judgement.

I watched a captain try to follow in God's footsteps.

When someone has gotten into enough trouble, they go to Captain's Mast (Non Judicial Punishment).

It is there that their fate is decided. Do they stay in the Navy? Do they get demoted? Sent to the brig for three days with only water and bread? 

When the captain pronounced judgement, he tempered it with mercy. 

Several times I heard him say that the sailor was demoted in rank but the sentence was suspended.

 

He told them what perhaps they could not see for themselves - that they matter. 

I will remember, as hopefully they will, the captain of the most powerful carrier in the world tell them that they are smart, they are leaders and are filled with potential.

 He is giving them an opportunity to repent, trusting them to do the right thing.

 He is taking a chance on them and the captain does not give everyone the chance to prove his faith in them correctly. 

The captain made the NJP a sacred space. 

The ever present God made God's presence felt through the captain as a merciful judge upon his people. 

We should all be so lucky. 

The Ultimate Equalizer

I have gotten down a daily routine of the ship for the most part.

Today, I was introduced to a new aspect of the ship. Doing laundry. I could avoid it no longer.
Here is what I have discovered.

Doing laundry is the ultimate equalizer. There are just so many machines to go around. It does not matter what your rank is when you are waiting in line for a dryer. The difference aboard ship than in my old dorm room is that no-one jumps the line. When someone does not show up in time to pick up their laundry and the laundry was still wet, you restart the machine for them and waited some more. If it's dry, you take it out and fold it for them.

 Even the simplest thing like doing laundry demonstrates the difference between civilian life to military life. Honor and discipline, even when it comes to dirty clothes.

Unique moments

Today was filled with some unique moments.

First, we have been running war games with the other carrier in our area. Today, we did a little photo op as we were 700 yards from their starboard bow with a big boy (DDG - destroyer) in between us.

Second,  I finally got to do a FOD walk down. This is when you go onto the flight deck, line up and walk in a line looking for anything that could get sucked into the engines of the jets. This may not sound as exciting to you as it was for me but I loved it. I got to be on the flight deck with no cranium on, no earplugs and I was outside. I spend ALL DAY indoors. It was a nice change and I get to actually do DECK PLATE MINISTRY.  I meet the sailors where they are, in their place of work rather than waiting for them to come see me.

Evening Prayer

Each night that the ship is out to sea, an evening prayer is given by a chaplain over the 1MC (the ship-wide PA system). Some sailors wait up at night for the evening prayer before going to sleep and others have just started working but many stop what they are doing and gather to listen.

There are Christians and Jews, Muslims and atheists aboard this ship who will hear my prayer and my job is to reach them all.

So what do I say? I only have 2 minutes at most.

I am searching for a universal message that is based in my own faith. 

And this is how it turned out.

 ------------------------------------

(Standing on the bridge, waiting until 21:55) 

Boatswains’ Mate (BM): Stand by for the evening prayer.

Me: Good Evening George Washington.

This evening’s prayer comes from Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10 which reads, “2 are better than 1… If 1 falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no-one to help him up!”

Let us pray.

Creator of All,

Help us to remember that we do not exist in our own bubble.

That we can accomplish more when we work as a team.

Give us the courage to learn to lean on others so we do not fall.

And help us be strong enough to support those who lean on us.

Together we succeed.

To your infinite guidance and unity we turn, Amen.

Be at peace, George Washington.

Just get used to it

September 18, 2012

There are some things that you have to simply adjust to while aboard ship.

1 - When flight ops are happening, which is all day, it sounds like an 18 wheeler is landing right above your head and will crash through the ceiling. Once the plane has landed, the wire that catches the plane so it does not go over the edge into the ocean noisily makes its way back to the starting position.

You hear this sound when you are counseling sailors, carrying on a conversation during chow, napping or leading services.  

2 – Knee knockers. If you do not raise your leg high enough, you will fall into the next part of the hallway. Though they are called knee-knockers, for most people, the frame comes up to their mid calf. For me, they are actual knee knockers. So basically, I am doing “high knees” all day long.

3 – Since there are so few Jewish chaplains, majority of the sailors have never seen the Jewish chaplain symbol before. As I walk down the p-way (passage way a.k.a. hallway), people stare.  It takes some getting used to. I keep wanting to say, "my eyes are up here." I know that it is simply out of curiosity. If anything, I have been greeted and welcomed with such open arms from everyone that I am proud to be the first Jewish chaplain they meet. 

The Unexpected Bucket List

September 16-18 Rosh Hashannah

Bucket list:

Land on a carrier while at sea. Check.

Steer/drive a carrier (not a simulation of one) AND not hit anything. Check.

I did warn them that while in the helo simulator in Mayport, Florida, I killed everyone on board. 
This did not stop them from turning the helm over to me. 

The best part - the helm is the same steering wheel as a racing car arcade game! 
No big wooden wheel. No splinters. Not something the size of a silver dollar.  

(This is the helm aboard the Halyburton, a frigate)

(This is the helm of the Farragot, a destroyer. It's close to what the helm looks like on the carrier. However, the carrier has two people steering simultaneously.)

I could get used to this

September 14 -16

I could get used to this.
Guam is beautiful.

Thank God I have Shabbat to recover and get my internal clock reset.
I head out to the ship on Sunday and Sunday night begins Rosh Hashannah.

God Bless the Broken Road

September 12, 2012

Rascal Flatts has it right.
God Bless the Broken Road.
I recommissioned as a reserve chaplain and have spent the last month getting ready for my first deployment.
I am off to the USS George Washington.
It's a carrier (CVN) that houses 5,500 people and is the length of 3 football fields.
I don't know what to expect so I watched the PBS 10 part series, "Carriers."

My travel will take me from Richmond to Tokyo to Guam.
Travel time: 22 hours and crossing the International Date Line.

From there, I will take a COD (carrier onboard delivery) and land on the carrier.

This was not on my bucket list but it is now.

Commissioning to Reserves

July 27th, 2012


There is  saying that you plan and God laughs.
I planned on going active duty for the Navy and God decided that I should go back to Camp Ramah in California for the summer.

In the middle of the summer, I was told that my reserves commission was ready and all I had to do was swear in.

I could have just gone to the NOSC (Navy Operational Support Center) and lifted my right hand and take the oath.
But what's the fun in that?

Instead, I invited the entire camp, staff and visitors to attend. That's about 900 people.

The LT who swore me in was volentold (she did not volunteer) to drive down and swear me in.
I had the short walk from the parking lot to let her know that there would be a "few" people attending.
As I joked with her about how big of a crowd it would be, I said, "Don't worry. I asked the rabbis to speak. All you have to do is administer the oath."

I am now officially attached to the 4th Marine Division (MARDIV), the 2/23 out of Port Hueneme, CA


Thank you to Rachel Blatt who was able to recording the entire thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRqUqplsaI0