With the war in Afghanistan firmly in its 10th year and the ongoing conflict in Iraq continuing to demand U.S. military attention, the approximately 10,000 Jewish soldiers in the armed forces increasingly rely on chaplains and lay leaders for spiritual guidance and moral support in the midst of a warzone. But to confront the challenges posed by today’s stressful military climate, clergy and counselors themselves need time to recharge.
For 50 Jewish men and women stationed around the globe, last weekend’s fourth-annual Military Training Conference and Shabbaton at The Shul in Bal Harbour, Fla. was a welcome break.
Hosted by the Aleph Institute, a Chabad-Lubavitch organization that assists Jewish members of the U.S. military, the conference also drew military families and hundreds of synagogue congregants. Chaplains led Shabbat services and gave Torah-inspired speeches. As Rabbi Sanford L. Dresin, a retired Army colonel who directs Aleph’s military programs explained, “for chaplains and lay leaders, this was an opportunity to speed up on Jewish issues and glean ideas from peers. For civilians, this was an opportunity to honor and support the troops.”
The program featured several high-ranking Jewish officers, including Rear Adm. Mark F. Heinrich of the U.S. Navy and Maj. Gen. David Rubenstein, chief of the Army Medical Service Corps.
“There are more Jewish generals and admirals than ever before in the military,” said Dresin.
With soldiers facing extended combat tours, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and suicide intervention received special focus at the conference. Dr. Bluma Ekshtut, a Seattle psychologist who is married to a Jewish lay leader, opened the conference last Thursday with a presentation on treatments for PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Maj. Henry Soussan, an instructor at the U.S. Army Chaplain School in Fort Jackson, S.C., focused on resilience training for chaplains and offered coping strategies for stress.
Col. Eyal Fruchter, the chief of the Israeli Defense Force’s mental health department, shared the Israeli approach to suicide intervention. Fruchter noted that in Israel, where the front lines are closer, Israeli soldiers return home every other weekend and can rely on a family support network.
Since today’s U.S. service members often spend months abroad, far from home, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Yarvis, the Deputy Commander for Behavioral Health at Fort Belvoir, Va., spoke about the need for “a chain of concern” around soldiers, including “battle buddies,” commanding officers, and any care providers the soldier comes in contact with.
“Research shows that if everyone in the community is involved, when a problem arises the soldier is more likely to talk about it,” said Yarvis.
A highlight of the conference was the Shabbat lunch presentation by retired Air Force fighter pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war Melvin Pollack, who shared a cell with Arizona Sen. John McCain in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” Pollack described how his positive attitude sustained him.
“I’m a just a kid from New York City who didn’t let it get to me,” said Pollack. “I was looking forward, not backwards.”
After his release in 1973, Pollack completed 20 years of service in the Air Force, raised a family, and had a long career in aviation and aerospace.
Pollack and the other speakers made a strong impression on Barry Ranish, a retired engineer who attends services at The Shul.
“It was really inspiring to interact with chaplains from all over the world,” he explained. “Seeing what Aleph is doing to support the work of Jews in the military made me feel proud.”
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