Sacrifice Vs. Religious Commitment
Background: The Jewish Military Troops WhatsApp group can be a fairly energetic place for a conversation, especially as certain subjects go. Several months ago, a service member asked a question involving potential flexibility regarding religion. The following is the [edited] robust roundtable conversation that ensued, lending to a variety of opinions on the subject of military service and religious flexibility.
- PFC Y: If a Jewish soldier is living in the dorm, and their roommate has idols displayed, violating Judaism’s prohibition against idolatry, is it a sin to go in his room? Let’s say the roommate needs assistance—is that a problem to do so if it will cause the Jewish soldier to be in the presence of idolatry?
- SSgt G: Why did you join the military? Just be a good human being. Are your convictions that weak that you can’t help a fellow service member in need? Are you seeking an excuse to not help someone? You are not spreading good deeds with a mindset like this! Lead by example: both in a work setting and religion.
- Ch, Maj Elie Estrin: He’s asking from a Halachic perspective. It’s a good question, and it includes a lot of details—i.e., is he allowed to pray there? Etc.
- SSgt G: I’m answering from a different perspective: the one he signed up from. I didn’t sign up to be Jewish; I was born this way. But I signed up to join the Military, knowing I’d have to make sacrifices, especially in regards to how I practice Judaism. That was all good and fine, as this is an all-volunteer force. Using my specific religion as an excuse, as a way of cheating outta work or avoiding helping others, is obviously looked down upon. Keep that in mind: we are here for the USA first, everything else is second.
- Ch Estrin: “America first” is your perspective. Judaism, however, relates to every circumstance, and there’s no situation that it gets left behind. You can serve in the US military AND be an observant Jew; there’s no contradiction—only a matter of figuring out what your Jewish responsibilities are in any given situation.
- SrA S: You both have good points. The service member is questioning whether that particular act is a “sin,” but meanwhile, maybe the service member is not worried about other “sins.” Be consistent.
- SSgt G: You cannot do both: your mission is to win wars. Religion is secondary in this country. If you want to have your cake and eat it too, there’s the Israeli military, and even they have to make sacrifices, in order to be an effective fighting force.
- Ch, LT Levi Ceitlin: SSgt G, you are absolutely right, that if you use your Judaism as an excuse to get out of work, you 100% will get looked down on because of it and give Jews all over the armed forces a bad name. However, if you are sincere about your religion AND your military service, and you request religious accommodation out of sincerity not an excuse, your fellow service members will respect you. Trust me, they know the difference 100% of the time!
And SrA S, it’s not our place to judge. Each one of us have our struggles and I definitely wouldn’t want a spotlight put on mine…
Ch, Capt Shaul Rappeport: Good discussions all. Some takeaways:
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- If we voluntarily raise our right hands to serve, we should expect to have to sacrifice and compromise at times. If that is not okay, we are not forced to volunteer (see Shu”t Mishne Halachos).
- Not all religious requests can (or even should) be accommodated, but many can and should. The key is learning to tell the difference.
- Both extremes are not helpful: (“All accommodations all the time are possible.” “No accommodations anytime are possible.”)
- No religious mandate whatsoever should prevent a service member from treating their fellow brother/sister in arms as an equal with dignity. If religion causes you to treat someone else poorly, you are doing religion wrong.
- LT F: Excellent wording. As someone who became religious after signing the dotted line (but before commissioning), figuring out that balance has been a major factor in spurring me to learn more about our faith, both practically and spiritually.
- Ch, Capt Yitzchak Landa: I would add the obvious corollary to point #4: patriotic conviction and dedication to service should never prevent a service member from respecting the religious convictions of another, and treating him/her with consideration. If being American means lecturing another on sacrificing his freedoms; you are doing Americanism wrong.
- Sgt K: Isn’t the phrase “G-d, family, country,” putting the order of religion first, an American idea? I’m not sure how official that statement is or what it means practically.
- Ch Estrin: A Google search tells me it’s an American Legion mantra: “Pro aris et focis,” not an official military or US slogan.
- PFC Y: Hey, so just to clear up a few things that were said without adding to the drama. I was just asking a Halachic question, from a hypothetical approach.
To respond to “Being a good person and not using religion as an excuse”; unfortunately, I know way too well about people who have used the Torah and G-d as a scapegoat to do evil things that I experienced firsthand. To reiterate, the question was a genuine question without any hate toward my roommate, and we are on the best of terms. This question was purely out of curiosity.
- CPT L: I think your question was perfectly reasonable. I too would be interested in how to approach similar situations from a Halachic standpoint, as a recent occasion had me questioning the proper thing to do in an uncomfortable situation.
- SGT P: LT Ceitlin, I would say more like 80% of the time, not 100%. Personally, I’ve never had my religious convictions unreasonably questioned (though I was once told, by a SNCO, that I should expect discrimination based on my appearance, despite complying with AR 670-1). But I’ve heard some horror stories from friends in other branches…
- SPC S: I’m here because the US Army facilitates the world I believe in creating. I signed up to it for that reason. I can see where you are coming from, but you may be putting the cart before the horse on this one. We respect royalty because G-d saw fit to put them in that position, and the same with other leaders. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop wrapping tefillin if the king of England tells me to!
- SGT P: If I may offer some of my own experience, the problem I see most often appears to be one of attitudes. The extent to which one can obtain reasonable religious accommodations depends on a number of variables, including operational circumstances, longevity in one’s assignment (if you’re in training, requests are more likely to be met with indifference or excuses), and leadership attitudes (which shouldn’t be a factor, but we live in the real world). The best way to make it happen is to realize that it is, in fact, an accommodation, whether or not your command is technically obligated. There is almost always enough gray area to deny a request without technically violating any laws; therefore accommodations are, de facto, at the commander’s discretion. If you show up at a new unit with a bunch of ultimatums (even if you’re legally entitled), you’re going to have a bad time. If, on the other hand, you do your time, mind your Ps and Qs, and demonstrate through your actions that you are A) not a dirtbag and B) sincere in your beliefs, almost any NCO will have your back. It may be on you to do the legwork, researching the proper procedure, coordinating with the local chaplain, etc. But that’s hardly unreasonable. I say all this as an E5 with a beard, a kippah, BAS since AIT, and a pretty good track record of getting off for Jewish holidays without burning leave.
- SSgt G: Unfortunately, it has been my perspective from the military, to city service, to the private sector, that there are plenty of Jews who use the religion/G-d for selfish reasons. I would hear all the hate thrown our way, and it never sat right with me when I saw fellow Jews doing this. I have spent many years in the military, I’ve had to confront antisemitism multiple times… I don’t support those who use our religion, or any religion for that matter, for selfish reasons, whatever they are. I was deployed with a Marine who happens to be Muslim. We worked all day everyday in the hot desert sun, and this man wouldn’t drink or eat, until it was time to stop. He worked the entire time with us, never letting religion interfere with work. I myself have made sacrifices in order to maintain operations, or get the assigned mission accomplished, and in my free time, practicing my religion. We cannot be ignorant people. Too many hate us. We have to be wise and alert, stop the infighting, and be ready for what is to come.
And for everyone here, I have worked at the command level. Any accommodation for anything is just that: an accommodation. When they can accommodate your needs, they try to. Stateside should always be easier than deployed, but it varies by individual experience. When I have Christian troops tell me “I need Sunday off,” I tell them no worries; when we can accommodate you, you will have Sunday off. I also inform them that if I need you to work, you will not get the accommodation. Being a team player will have a great effect for you!
- Ch Landa: To return to the original question, I asked a rabbi familiar with military circumstances, and he responded that the soldier should avoid praying in that room. If he needs to be in that room and must pray, he should face a different direction.
- Ch Estrin: Ultimately, freedom of religion is a Constitutional right in this country. As long as you understand how to be flexible in your circumstances while maintaining your convictions in a responsible and respectful manner, we believe you will be able to keep Judaism. And if not, your Jewish chaplains and the Aleph Institute have got your back.
What do you think? What would you add to this conversation? Email [email protected] to add your voice!
Originally published in the Shavous/Three Weeks 2024 issue of The Jewish American Warrior.
