Every chaplain is a recruiter for their denomination, whether you hold the official title or not.
Part of that job, is being interviewed by people interested but do not have enough information.
Below are some questions I have been asked recently.
1) Do you work more with veterans in a hospital setting, or active service members on bases?
I am an active duty chaplain, serving currently with two Marine battalions at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC.
2) What's your work like?
It's amazing. I could spend hours describing it but I'll keep it short.
I get to work with Marines and be there for them when they need to talk/need guidance/help/are in spiritual crisis.
I get to show Jews who are not open about being Jewish, that they can be.
I lead a diverse Jewish community of service members who know that they will not always be stationed where there will be a Jewish chaplain.
3) Did you serve as a chaplain while you were still a student?
No. I commissioned in my 4th year and went officer school (ODS for the Navy) that summer. I went to Chaplain School during the last semester of my 5th year.
4) Did you go directly into military chaplaincy after ordination, or did you have student congregations and/or congregations after you graduated?
I was selected for the reserves for a year and was the assistant rabbi of a congregation after ordination and went onto active duty after that.
5) You mentioned that you're working with Marines and Sailors; how did you choose which branch of the military to serve as a chaplain?
I went to the Navy because the Navy bases are usually around port cities, where there are other Jews. I wanted the chance to deploy and I wanted to serve with Marines. The Navy chaplains also cover the Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
6) Do female chaplains have the same issues with harassment that servicewomen do?
Just because I have not does not mean it does not exist.
7) I know rabbis can feel isolated if they don't have a peer community, but it sounds like you've been posted to places where there are other chaplains from other religions, and that they've been really welcoming. Is that the norm, or do you feel like you've been lucky?
I think it is a little of both.
One of the things my Command Chaplain said to me during my farewell lunch, was that I was able to remind them all that there are more than Christians in the room and do so in a loving, welcoming way.
8) Has there been room for you to grow and develop in your work?
I have grown as a rabbi, that's for certain.
I get to be a rabbi of a congregation and have a battalion or squadron of my own.
I have grown as a chaplain, absolutely. Every day I learn something new!
9) What's your favorite part of your job?
Serving God and country. And I mean every word.
10) How do you balance the laws of Kashrut and Shabbat with life on a ship or a base?
I have only been on bases.
In Okinawa, Kashrut was hard. I had to find a balance and when the commissary (grocery store) got Kosher meat, I was in heaven.
Kashrut in Jacksonville, NC is a challenge but kosher meat is only a 90 minute drive away.
As an officer, you'll always have your own kitchen (base-specific). When I am out visiting my Marines in the far-flung reaches of the Marine Corps, I bring protein bars and eat the vegetarian MREs (meals ready to eat).
Shabbat is a little trickier. In Okinawa, I lived off-base so I could be within walking distance of the Jewish chapel on base. It did not take too long to get that approved.
In Jacksonville, because I am single, I do not rate on-base housing that would put me within walking distance, so I drive.
I have a blackberry that I answer on Shabbat because I assume that it is an emergency. It is with me, even during Chagim. As a chaplain, I stand "duty" for a week at a time. I answer it when it rings. And when I stand duty during Shabbat, I answer the phone.
There has to be some flexibility within our observance levels because of the nature of the military and its structure.
11) The Jewish community in the Navy and Marines is small.
It is bigger than you realize. I have Marines coming out of the woodwork when they see my Kippah. They feel strong enough to say out-loud that they are Jewish.
12) How do you best navigate that minority status?
I am the guide-on for ALL minorities. I ensure that all minorities in my command are cared for and that they know I have their back, should they need religious accommodation support. I wear a Kippah on my head and hold it high. When an event is happening, I advocate for my religious needs - doing so to harmonize the needs of the command and my religious needs.
An example. My command hosts a memorial run every year for a Marine we lost 6 years ago. It is held on the first Saturday of August. I will drive to and from shul but to nothing else, so I bike to the event, give the invocation, walk around and talk to everyone and when it is over, I bike home.
It is a balancing act and one that starts with the first decision you make. You must hold your convictions ("hold the line," as General Mattis said) and be consistent.
