Naval Lieutenant and Orthodox Rabbi

Story about Navy LT Aaron Kleinman here. 

New Chaplain

The Air Force now has a new Jewish chaplain (with a beard).  

Chaplain Bram in JBER

If memory serves, Chaplain Bram was the Chaplain at Balad when I was there. He is now the first Orthodox chaplain in recent memory in Joint Base Elmensdorf Richardson in Alaska. Good luck there!  

Conference Report

This looks like it was a good conference on the Jewish experience in WWI. Lots of room for new historical research. 

Chaplain Frommer on Memorial Day

. . . here.

The military is getting a new Jewish prayer book

. . . the first since WWII. Story here and here. 

The Jews who fought for Britain in WWI

The Forward has an interesting piece on an exhibition "For King and Country" that just opened in London's Jewish Museum. The exhibition commemorates the Jews who fought for Britain during WWI. Interestingly, Jews fought on both sides of that war.  

Jewish vets getting awards

Minority veterans, including Jews, are getting awards they were overlooked for from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Story here. 

Orthodox Synagogue Forces Reform Rabbi And WW2 Vets To Hold Holocaust Memorial Ceremony Outside In Cold Pouring Rain

... not cool. 

Interesting looking conference. Call for papers.

Got this in an email:

Call for Papers

Jewish Soldiers in World War II

International Conference
Tel Aviv University
8-9 June, 2014

During World War II more than 1.5 million Jews participated in the fight against Nazi Germany as soldiers in the armies of the nations in which they lived. This fascinating phenomenon of Jewish history – the recruitment and service of Jewish soldiers across a number of countries – is ripe for critical investigation. The Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center of Tel Aviv University is therefore pleased to organize an international conference in order to bring together leading researchers in the field to discuss and analyze current and developing scholarship.

Areas of particular focus will include:
• The recruitment of Jews to the armies of their countries of residence
• The political and social significance of the presence of Jewish soldiers in the armies of their countries of residence
• Jewish women as soldiers and partisans
• Jewish prisoners of war
• The daily experiences of Jewish soldiers
• Methodology, particularly the use of documents and correspondence as historical sources

The conference is tentatively scheduled for June 8-9, 2014, although this may be subject to change. All lectures will be delivered in English, and a volume of the conference proceedings will subsequently be published in English as well.

Scholars who wish to present papers are invited to submit proposals to the steering committee (see address below) by February 15, 2014. Proposals should be written in English and include:

• Full name and academic title
• Academic affiliation
• Contact details
• Short CV
• Title of proposed lecture and an abstract of about 200 words

We look forward to receiving your applications, and the steering committee will inform you of its decision in the weeks following the deadline.

Please send your submissions electronically to:

Sara Appel (saraappe@post.tau.ac.il) and Moty Kanias (motykani@mail.tau.ac.il)

Or by post to:

The Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center
Carter Building, Tel Aviv University
P.O.B. 39040
Tel Aviv 6997801, ISRAEL

Academic Steering Committee:

Simha Goldin, The Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center, Tel Aviv University
Motti Golani, Tel Aviv University
Zvi Kan-Tor, The Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II
Benny Michelsohn, The Israel Commission of Military History
Moty Kanias, Tel Aviv University

Kosher Troops

. . . on youtube. (h/t Ta)