Rabbi visits Okinawa to celebrate Passover

Photo By Sgt. Brandon Saunders | Navy Capt. Brenda F. BradleyDavila, chaplain of Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, III Marine Expeditionary Force (right) discusses the details of Passover with Navy. Cmdr. Joel D. Newman, chaplain of Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, during his visit to Okinawa in order to lead the Passover Seder here April 19.  

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN

04.15.2011

Story by Cpl. Brandon Saunders 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan — The chaplain of Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, arrived here April 15 to hold Passover services with the Jewish community as part of a tour around Marine Forces Pacific’s area of operations.

Cmdr. Joel D. Newman is one of only six Rabbis in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps who provides Judaic services to military members and their families throughout the Department of the Navy.

“There are so few Rabbis in the Navy,” said Newman. “There are only six of us, and many of the other Rabbis are tied to their obligations at their respective duty stations, so no one comes to the Pacific.”

Part of the Marine Corps’ dedication to morale, health and wellness is to encourage free religious practice. Marines and sailors have the freedom to practice what they believe. However, due to the small number of religious personnel who provide these services, visits to specific locations must be arranged.

“[The Jewish community here] has to remain self-supportive in order to remain viable,” said, Dr. Scott D. Goldberg, professor at University of Phoenix and lay leader for the Jewish community here.

There are very few Rabbis in the Navy, so it is important that Newman traveled here to lead services and the Passover Seder, he added.

In addition to deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Newman has traveled around the world 27 times to share fellowship with Marines and sailors.

The Rabbi’s two-week tour will conclude with a visit to Guam where he will provide Shabbat services to military members aboard vessels. There he will lead a Passover Seder before returning to his home duty station of Camp Pendleton.

• Date Taken: 04.15.2011
• Date Posted: 04.24.2011 20:38
• Story ID: 69286
• Location: KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP