Veterans Sabbath
It was “Veterans Sabbath” in the local synagogue. Three young men of the congregation, two graduates of Jewish Day School, talked about what motivated them to volunteer for the Marine Corps (two) and the Air Force (one), and how their decisions raised eyebrows among other Jews. “My grandmother said it wasn’t a career for a nice Jewish boy,” said a young Marine to knowing chuckles in the audience.
But it is.
It was “Veterans Sabbath” in the local synagogue. Three young men of the congregation, two graduates of Jewish Day School, talked about what motivated them to volunteer for the Marine Corps (two) and the Air Force (one), and how their decisions raised eyebrows among other Jews. “My grandmother said it wasn’t a career for a nice Jewish boy,” said a young Marine to knowing chuckles in the audience.
But it is.
Jews have been soldiers from the beginning of the Jewish people. The second Marine pointed to the morning’s Torah reading for the earliest example of a Jewish citizen soldier. Abraham, a shepherd, raised an army from among his people to fight five kings and rescue his nephew Lot, who had been kidnapped. “A guerrilla army on night maneuvers,” said the Marine. And then Abraham returned to his flocks as our soldiers expect to return to theirs. There were Joshua, Jephta, Samson, Barak and the Maccabi brothers. And there are the soldiers of the IDF, who defend the Israel and the heritage of the Jewish people today and every day.
Perhaps it is only the idea of the Jews in the American military seems odd to some Jews. But Jews in America have been in our armed forces since the founding of the Republic. Fifty percent of the first graduating class at West Point was Jewish (OK, there were only 2 graduates, but still). Jews have served in every American war and on both sides of the Civil War. There have been Jewish Marines, pilots, submariners and foot soldiers; Jewish medics, artillery gunners, logisticians and intelligence officers; Jews who were drafted and Jews who volunteered; Jews with long military careers and Jews who just met their commitments. Most of our fathers or grandfathers volunteered for World War II.
Here is our theory – all soldiers serve proudly and serve best in the best countries. American soldiers protect not only their countrymen, but also the values that make up free and democratic societies. They participate in alliances with like-minded countries and defend those who cannot defend themselves. For more than 350 years, no country has been as good to the Jewish people as this one – period, full stop. And Jews, like others who appreciate the goodness of the United States, want to protect and serve her.
One of the Marines called service in the U.S. military “tikkun olam,” the repairing of the world that Jews believe is a social and religious requirement. This Marine had served two tours in Iraq – one in 2006 and one in late 2007 – describing his first as fighting and his second as building. Serving.
By the time the three men were done, the knowing chuckles of people who understood the people – or who were the people – who weren’t sure why Jews should enlist had turned to pride in the choices these men had made.
This Veterans Day, we salute all of our veterans and thank them for the difficult and dangerous work they do that allows us to have our Sabbath – whether on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.