Theme: The Role and Person of the Military Chaplain and Lay Leader in Crisis, Conflict, and Combat
- All prayers will take place in the Main Sanctuary.
- The Main Sanctuary and the Social Hall are located on the first floor; all classrooms are on the second floor.
- General sessions will take place in Social Hall Room 1.
- Spouses sessions will take place in Classroom 5.
- Lay Leader sessions will take place in Classroom 6.
- All meals will take place in Social Hall Room 2.
- Childcare will be located in Classroom 1.
Course Schedule
Wednesday, 05 March:
Dress: Casual
14:00 – 18:00 Arrival and welcome. Reception in The Shul, 9540 Collins Ave., Social Hall. Distribution of schedule, information packets and welcome bags.
19:00 – 21:30 Social barbecue at Ch Estrin’s home: 4430 NW 65th Ave, Lauderhill, FL 33319. NOTE: Drive time from Bal Harbour is approximately one hour. POVs with limited space leave from The Shul to Ch Estrin’s house at precisely 18:15. Carpools will be arranged on the Symposium WhatsApp group.
Thursday, 06 March:
Dress: Duty uniform or equivalent
07:00 – 07:25 Behind the War on Amalek, Part I: CH (CPT) Michael Harari, USA (optional)
07:30 – 08:25 Shacharit (morning prayers)
08:25 – 08:30 Dvar Torah (homily): ENS Dovid Moya, USNR
08:30 – 09:15 Breakfast
09:15 – 09:55 Welcome and Greetings: Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, CEO of the Aleph Institute
Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, Founder of the Aleph Institute
Overview: Rabbi Sanford Dresin, CH (COL) USA Ret., Endorser
Current Projects and Outlook: Ch, Maj Elie Estrin, USAFR, Aleph Military Personnel Liaison, Executive Assistant to the Endorser
10:00 – 10:30 Halachic Parameters of the Warfighter: Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe, Dean of the Institute of American and Talmudic Law, Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Torah in Springfield, MA
Spouses: Icebreaker: Getting to Know You (Classroom 5)
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:30 Warfighters Roundtable: CH (COL) Sanford Dresin, USA Ret.; CH (LTC) Shlomo Shulman, USA; CH (MAJ) Moshe Lans, USA; CH (CPT) Michael Harari, USA; SSG Tzvi Felzenberg, USA, SrA Laivi Grossman, USAF; SSgt Boaz Hochstein, IDF
Spouses: Jewish Education Opportunities: Nigri Online School, CKids, Homeschooling
11:30 – 12:15 IDF Combat Update: CAPT Royi Sela, Israeli Navy, IDF Naval Attache to the United States
12:15 – 13:15 Lunch
Purim and Passover supplies: Rabbi Menachem Katz, Aleph Director of Outreach
Transitioning out of the Military: Mr. Michael Shapiro, JVets
13:15 – 14:10 Break out sessions
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- Chaplains: Practical Lifecycle: Bris Milah, Kiddushin, End of Life (Social Hall)
- CH (MAJ) Tzvi Teitelbaum, USAR; CH (CPT) Michael Harari, USA; CH (COL) Shmuel Felzenberg, USA; CH (MAJ) Elisar Admon, USA; CH (MAJ) Mendy Stern, USA
- Lay Leaders: Living an Observant Life in the Military: A Discussion. (Classroom 6)
- Ch, Lt Col Michael Bram, USAF Ret.; CPT-P Menachem Felzenberg, USA; CPT Michael Gaerman, USA; 1Lt Mikhael Smits, USA
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- Spouses: The Keys to a Successful Military Marriage (Classroom 5)
- Mrs. Batia Gold, MA, LMHC, Trauma Specialist; former Military Family Life Counselor
14:20 – 15:00 Leading From Where You Are: Ms. Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and Founder, Blue Star Families
15:05 – 15:35 Kosher in Deployed and Austere Environments; i.e. a Kosher Food Desert: LT Eli Eleff, USCGA, OU Director of Community Relations
15:35 – 15:45 Break
15:45 – 16:30 Life After Being Blown Up: SSgt Boaz Hochstein (IDF Ret.), Founder, Restart Global
16:35 – 17:15 Judaism and Post Traumatic Growth: Rabbi Zalman Abraham, Director, The Wellness Center
17:15 – 17:30 Mincha (afternoon prayers)
17:30 – 19:00 Free time, PT
19:00 – 21:30 Dinner. Dress: Business casual.
Musical Presentation: MU1 Michael Bogart, USN Ret.; Alumnus, Tower of Power
CSM Sam Yudin Award Presentations
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Ken Fisher, CEO, Fisher House Foundation
Followed by Maariv (evening prayers) and Daf Yomi Daily Talmud study: Ch, Lt Col Friedman (optional).
Friday, 07 March:
Dress: Duty uniform or equivalent
07:00 – 07:25 Behind the War on Amalek, Part II: LT Levi Ceitlin, USN CHC (optional)
07:30 – 08:10 Shacharit (morning services)
08:10 – 08:15 Dvar Torah (homily): Ch, 1Lt Chananya Steinmetz, USAFR
08:15 – 08:55 Breakfast
09:00 – 09:30 USAF Chaplaincy Update: Ch, Maj Gen Trent Davis, USAF Chief of Chaplains
- Spouses: What to Know About PCSing: LTC Art Zeidman, USA Ret.
09:30 – 10:00 USA Chaplaincy Update: Office of the Army Chief of Chaplains
- Spouses: Employment Opportunities: Ms. Rachele Belt, Director of Outreach and Strategic Partnerships, PenFed Foundation
10:00 – 10:30 USN Chaplaincy Update: CAPT Brian Weigelt, USN CHC, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Navy Chaplains
10:30 – 10:50 Q&A
- Spouses: What to Know About Wills: Mrs. Hillary Kleinman, Esq.
10:50 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 11:30 European Theatre Update: Col Michele Olsen, USAF, Director of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, USAF-Europe and Air Force-AFRICA
- Spouses: The Transition In and Out of the Military: Mrs. Batia Gold
- Open Session: Helping us Grow the Jewish Military Community: Mrs. Chaya Estrin
11:35 – 12:05 INDOPACOM Update: Lt Col Annie Kleiman, USAFR
12:05 – 13:00 Lunch
Special Guest: Mr. David Oxfeld, Miami Marlins CCO
13:00 – 13:45 Break out sessions
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- Chaplains: Case Studies: Combat and Stress. (Social Room 1)
- Lay Leaders: DRGLs and the Creation of Community: Col Michele Olsen, USAF; CPT-P Menachem Felzenberg, USA; 1Lt Mikael Smits, USA; Ch, Maj Elie Estrin, USAFR (Classroom 6)
- Spouses: Mikvah and the Military – Answering the Questions: Moderator: Mrs. Chaya Ceitlin. Rabbi Dov Schochet, Dean, Chaim Yakov Shlomo College for Jewish Studies (Classroom 5)
- For Females: Mikvah Tour: Mrs. Kayla Schochet (Classroom 5)
13:45 – 14:15 Challenges to the Free Exercise of Religion: Mr. Daniel Blomberg, Esq., Lead Counsel, The Becket Fund
14:15 – 14:30 DLA Update: SFC Michael Hyer, USA, DLA NCOIC
14:30 – 15:00 Successful Reserve and Guard Careers: Col Aaron Kleiman, ANG Advisor to SOCOM
15:00 – 15:30 Daf Yomi daily Talmud study: Ch, Lt Col Friedman (optional)
15:00 – 17:00 PT and Shabbat prep
Shabbat – Friday Evening:
Dress: Class A uniform or equivalent
17:00 – 17:30 Formal group photo in The Shul sanctuary. Mandatory – must be on time!
17:30 – 18:15 Cadet Program: CH (CPT) Michael Harari, USA; Ch, Capt Noteh Glogauer, Canadian Armed Forces (Classroom 5)
18:07 Candle Lighting (in the Shul lobby) and Mincha (afternoon services), followed by Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Sabbath prayers): CH (MAJ) Elisar Admon, USAR
19:15 Shabbat dinner
Kiddush (Sabbath benediction): Aumonier Phillippe Choucroun, Armed Forces of France
Hamotzi (blessing over bread): CH (MAJ) David Ruderman, USA
Children’s Program starts at 19:45.
Introduction of special guests: Rabbi Aaron Lipskar
Welcome: Rabbi Sholom Lipskar
Bat Mitzvah: Ms. Feina Ruderman
Introduction of West Point cadets: COL Benjamin Wallen, USA
Keynote Speaker: Lt Gen Michael Cederholm, USMC
Grace after Meal: CH (CPT) Yitzchak Hochman, USAR
Shabbat Day, 08 March:
Dress: Class A uniform or equivalent
08:00 – 09:00 Cake and coffee (Social Hall)
08:25 – 08:55 Behind the War on Amalek: Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe (optional – Main Sanctuary)
09:00 Shacharit (morning services): Ch, Lt Col Joseph Friedman, USAF
- 10:00 – 11:00 Cadet Program: CH (MAJ) Elisar Admon, USAR (Social Hall Room 1)
11:30 Musaf prayers: Rabbi Zsolt Balla, Chief Rabbi of the Bundeswehr
Prayer for the United States: LTC Terry Bresnick, USA Ret.
Prayer for US Armed Forces: CH (COL) Jacob Goldstein, USA Ret.
Prayer for the Land of Israel: CH (LTC) Shlomo Shulman, USA
Prayer for the IDF: Ch, 1Lt Chaim Roome, USAF
Introduction to the Guest Speaker: Rabbi Sholom Lipskar
Guest speaker: COL Jack Jacobs, USA Ret., Medal of Honor Recipient
12:00 – 13:00 Community Kiddush (collation – Social Hall Room 2)
13:00 Family Style Lunch (Social Hall Room 1)
14:00 – 18:00 Free time
17:00 – 17:30 Spouses and Female Service Members: An Inspirational Charge: Ch, Maj Elie and and Mrs. Chaya Estrin (Social Hall)
17:30 Community Women’s Torah class: Mrs. Chani Lipskar, The Shul Rebbetzin (Social Hall)
17:30 – 18:00 Daf Yomi Daily Talmud study: Ch, Lt Col Friedman (optional)
18:00 Mincha (afternoon prayers)
18:20 Seudat Shlishit (Social Hall)
Dvar Torah (homily): CH (COL) Sanford Dresin, USA (Ret.), Aleph Endorser
Grace after meal: Ch, Col Yaakov Bindell, USAF
19:01 Shabbat concludes. Maariv (evening services) and Havdalah (Sabbath conclusion ceremony)
Evening: free time
19:45 – 20:45 Father and Children community learning program (Social Hall)
20:00 – 21:00 Spouse’s night out (Surfside Marriott Courtyard)
PSA: Daylight Savings begins tonight!
Sunday, 09 March:
Dress: Duty uniform or equivalent
07:30 – 07:55 Behind the Mask of Purim: LT Joshua Rubin, USN CHC (optional)
08:00 – 08:40 Shacharit (morning services)
08:40 – 08:45 Dvar Torah (homily): LT Noah Leavitt, USCGA
08:45 – 09:30 Break-out sessions by branch over breakfast: (Social Hall)
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- USA Moderator: CH (COL) Shmuel Felzenberg, USA
- USN/USCG/USMC Moderator: CDR Aaron Kleinman, USN CHC
- USAF/USSF Moderator: Ch, Col Yaakov Bindell, USAF
- NATO/Allied Moderator: CH (LTC) Shlomo Shulman, USA
9:30 – 10:15 Ukrainian Conflict Update: Major General Borys Krementskyi, Ukrainian Air Force, Defense Attache to the United States
10:20 – 10:50 Medical Treatment in LSCO: COL Brian Friedland, USA
10:50 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 12:00 Halachic Decisions in Wartime: Rabbi Dov Shochet, Rosh Yeshiva, Chaim Yakov Shlomo College for Jewish Studies
12:05 – 12:30 Joshua: The Making of a Leader: Ch, Lt Col Joseph Friedman, USAF
12:30 – 13:30 Hot Wash/Feedback: Rabbi Dresin, Ch Estrin
From 13:30 Boxed lunches
13:30 – 13:45 Mincha (afternoon prayers)
13:45 – 14:30 Daf Yomi Daily Talmud study: Ch, Lt Col Friedman (optional)
Sunday afternoon: Individual consultations with Rabbi Dresin by appointment (Hamie Library)
13:45 – 14:45 New and Incoming Chaplain Session. (Mandatory for applicants, chaplain candidates and under three-year chaplains.)
Tzeitchem Leshalom. See you next year, B’ezrat Hashem!