Tikun Olam

One of the major Mitzvot, is that of Tikun Olam, healing the world.

A few weeks ago, I got 86 Marines and a few families to join me in doing a parameter clean up of Camp Foster in conjunction with Earth Week.

In the end, we collected 35 trash bags of solid trash and 25 of recycling.

The best part was when I asked for PAO (public affairs office) to cover the event and they did.

Below is their video.

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/334836/foster-cleans-up#.U4RQJ_mSySo


I could end up on AFN (armed forces network) anywhere in the world!

Never Have I Ever

Psalm 119:99 says "Mikol M'lamdai Hiskalti" -. From everyone I have learned How true that is.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be performing any conversions while stationed on Okinawa, let alone nine in one day. I did not think that I would have to stretch as a rabbi or feel the weight of the responsibility of teaching someone and converting them to Judaism so soon in my career.

I have loved every minute of it and continuously worried that I was not doing a good enough job, not teaching enough topics, not enough depth in the subjects, too much frontal teaching ... I doubted myself.

And yet, they kept coming back, thirsting for more, questioning with new found knowledge and desiring to understand on a deeper, more personal level. 

It was my great fortune that while each of them has been on an incredibly unique journey, our paths crossed at the right time.

Better still, is that these are not just people who wanted to convert, they were and are my friends, which made presiding over their conversions that much more emotional for me. I have spent the last two weeks trying not to cry tears of joy while teaching them because all I could think of was how proud I was to be their rabbi and friend. This day has been one of the most precious to me in my life.

The best Moment for me, WAS after coming out of the East China Sea (Thank you God for the natural Mikvah ), I hugged Them and said, "welcome home." (That and knowing That I Converted Minnie Mouse. No, seriously. Yoko used to be Minnie Mouse at Tokyo Disney!!)

Thank you to Jennifer, Maddie, Erika, Yagi, Yoko, Zach and Lianna for asking me to be with you as you became Jews; Ben and Elizabeth for choosing to take an affirmative step; to Debbie, Zach, Jason, Matthew, and Jed for helping this ritual run smoothly; to David and Yoni for being a part of the best Beit Din in the Pacific.

Though I know that being in the military means that our time together is guaranteed to be limited, I pray that I keep in touch with them, wherever they go because just as I have been there for one of the most trans formative moments of their lives , they have touched my life too. 

Knowing that I am doing my job

I was driving home from work one day and was stopped because of traffic and I was not paying attention to the on-coming traffic that was moving.
The next thing I hear is "RAH MA'AM!" Surprising me from my daze.

It was one of my Marines who recognized my car or me and wanted to send me a greeting as they drove past!

I could not see who it was but I smiled, laughed and yelled out, "RAH MARINE!"

DEFINITION:
RAH = a shortened version of OO-RAH or EHR-RAH, the Marine call.

It is an answer to a question, an affirmation to a statement or instruction.

(Example: "How are you doing, Marine?" "RAH, Ma'am"!)
(Example: "Keep up the good work!" "Ehr-Rah!")

Holocaust Memorial Observed on Okinawa

Today, we observed Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Naval Hospital on Camp Foster. We had an honor guard, the laying of a memorial wreath, a poem and I gave a prayer and sang the 23rd Psalm.

Below are my words and some pictures that were taken.

Boreh Nefashot, Creator of Souls,

You told Ezekiel to prophesize over a valley of bones that they should rise from the ashes, and as he began to speak, the bones came together piece by piece, rebuilt out of the destruction and desolation that surrounded them. We did not know that the prophesy was meant for us.

When You spoke through Isaiah and said “When you pass through water, I will be with you; Through streams, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, You shall not be scorched; Through flame, it shall not burn you.  Because you are precious to me, and honored and I love you,” we did not know that we would one day take your words literally.

As you promised, we have risen up, stronger and resilient from the fires and the gas and the valley of bones and ash.

We know that it is our responsibility to never let this happen again; that when this generation of survivors dies out, that we will take up their cause - to fight the daily battles against bigotry, hatred – so that we can win the war against evil in the world.

We will speak up for the dead and the living and work to create the world as you described it, where swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, where we will never know war again. Amen.

Outreach

I was invited to spend a few days of Pesach with the military Jewish community in Yokosuka, Japan. Though it was cold and rainy the entire trip, the community was warm and welcoming. It was the best feeling to share the successes of the Jewish community in Okinawa with the Jews in Yokosuka.

I learned 2 important lessons while I was there:

1) Small gestures send big messages. I did not see my visiting the Yokosuka community as a big deal. It was a quick flight, some services, some programming ... They did not agree. It was a gift they wanted and someone found a way to grant it.

2) Wherever I go, I will never be alone. There are Jews everywhere. I just have to look. And of course, set up a face book page to help us find each other. 

Starfish

The Col has been joking with me for some time that once I have been in this job long enough, I will become jaded to the sob stories that come through my door.

". Serious" I admitted to her that there were plenty of marines who are whining about something or other and their issues are not However, I told her a story that surprised even her - a feat that was the highlight of my week.

The story:

A man walks down the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them back into the sea. A second man watches the first for a while before finally stopping him and asking, "what is the point?! Don't you see that the tide throws 3 starfish onto the beach for every 1 that you throw back. "

The man reaches down and picks up the starfish at his feet, throws it into the sea and says, "It matters to THIS one."

That is what drives me as I sit and listen to Marines day in and day out. It could be as simple as helping them understand that life is messy and teaching them coping skills. Others just need someone they can trust to speak to. And some have serious issues that impact their ability to function.

I felt as though the Col needed a reminder. So I gave her a starfish. And as a Marine, I knew she'd appreciate that it sits on Iwo Jima sand.

Sometimes even Colonels need reminding on how significant an otherwise insignificant act can be.

Passover Okinawa Style

Monday night, the community gathered for a communal seder. 75 people participated. Even my CO and command chaplain were there. 

The next night, I hosted a second seder, because I wanted to ask my questions.
In honor of being in Okinawa, we sat in my tatami room, on the tatami mats. 
As we follow the Israeli  holiday calender, it was already Chol HaMoed - hence the photography.