Posted on May 31, 2021
German military appoints chief rabbi for first time since World War I
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The German military has named a chief rabbi to serve in its ranks for the first time in almost a century after German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer made the appointment aimed at both serving the hundreds of Jews in the German military's ranks and to combat antisemitism.
Rabbi Zsolt Balla, currently the chief rabbi of Saxony and its capital, Leipzig, has been selected to fill the position. He will also continue in his current position, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
Some 300 German Jews currently serve in the Bundeswehr and the German parliament voted unanimously exactly a year ago to allow rabbis back into the military to provide religious assistance to Jewish soldiers. Rabbis were expelled from the ranks when Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933. Until the vote, German soldiers were offered religious services only by a Christian military chaplain.
Rabbi Zsolt Balla, currently the chief rabbi of Saxony and its capital, Leipzig, has been selected to fill the position. He will also continue in his current position, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
Some 300 German Jews currently serve in the Bundeswehr and the German parliament voted unanimously exactly a year ago to allow rabbis back into the military to provide religious assistance to Jewish soldiers. Rabbis were expelled from the ranks when Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933. Until the vote, German soldiers were offered religious services only by a Christian military chaplain.
German military appoints chief rabbi for first time since World War I
Posted from jpost.com
Germany
Religion
Judaism
Posted 3 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel They sure took their time...
Balla will head the military rabbinate that will be established in Berlin and will oversee 10 Jewish military clergymen.
As well as providing religious services to Jewish soldiers, the military rabbinate will participate in the education of all German soldiers to fight antisemitism.
Balla will officially take on the role in a ceremony at a Leipzig synagogue in a few weeks.
Among those set to attend the ceremony that will be broadcast live on German TV channel ARD are Kramp-Karrenbauer, Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, Central Council of Jews in Germany President Josef Schuster and representatives of the Conference of European Rabbis, of which Balla is a member.
"This is a significant step to bolster ties between the German people and the Jewish community that has resided in Germany for hundreds of years," said Conference of European Rabbis and Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt in welcoming the appointment.
"The establishment of a military rabbinate in the German military sends a clear message of tolerance and pluralism, which will bring us one step closer toward maintaining Jews' freedom of religion in Germany and fighting against any antisemitic phenomenon that arises later on," he added.
While the decision to appoint a chief rabbi was made last year, its implementation was postponed because of coronavirus.
Tens of thousands of Jews served in the German armed forces in World War I (1914-18), including some rabbis. Among them was prominent theologian Leo Baeck.
Balla will head the military rabbinate that will be established in Berlin and will oversee 10 Jewish military clergymen.
As well as providing religious services to Jewish soldiers, the military rabbinate will participate in the education of all German soldiers to fight antisemitism.
Balla will officially take on the role in a ceremony at a Leipzig synagogue in a few weeks.
Among those set to attend the ceremony that will be broadcast live on German TV channel ARD are Kramp-Karrenbauer, Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, Central Council of Jews in Germany President Josef Schuster and representatives of the Conference of European Rabbis, of which Balla is a member.
"This is a significant step to bolster ties between the German people and the Jewish community that has resided in Germany for hundreds of years," said Conference of European Rabbis and Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt in welcoming the appointment.
"The establishment of a military rabbinate in the German military sends a clear message of tolerance and pluralism, which will bring us one step closer toward maintaining Jews' freedom of religion in Germany and fighting against any antisemitic phenomenon that arises later on," he added.
While the decision to appoint a chief rabbi was made last year, its implementation was postponed because of coronavirus.
Tens of thousands of Jews served in the German armed forces in World War I (1914-18), including some rabbis. Among them was prominent theologian Leo Baeck.
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CPL Sharon Fahey
We need more Jewish chaplains. We had one for the entire region overseas and the fleet, mostly for Jewish holidays.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
CPL Sharon Fahey - 2 of My Favorites Chaplains were Rabbis One at CINCPACFLT and the Other at Pacific Northwest. Both Wonderful Gentlemen.
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