US Air Force's only female rabbi speaks
Captain Sarah Schechter does not see her role as unique, but as building community and supporting thousands enlisted in US military. 'The vast majority of the people I care for are non-Jews,' she says
The chapel at Andrews Air Force base is actually one place Captain Sarah Schechter does not spend a lot of time as a US Air Force chaplain.
Video courtesy of jn1.tv
"The vast majority of the people that I care for are non-Jews," she says. "I am definitely a rabbi for the Jewish community and I run a Jewish program but that's not the only thing that I do. The vast majority of what I do is a lot of counseling and advising leadership."
But to start her journey, Captain Schechter needed some counseling of her own – from her parents.
"I said, 'Mom! what am I going to do with my life?' And she said, 'You should become a rabbi!'"
Leaving her job at a Japanese firm across the street from the World Trade Center, she enrolled in a five-year program to become a rabbi in the reform tradition.
Still a student, it was the events of September 11, 2001 that prompted her to join the US military.
"And on that day, upon hearing what was going on, the attacks on our country, that it became absolutely clear in my mind the thing to do was to join the military. I said to my husband, 'I should join the military,' and my husband said, Absolutely.' The next day I called the recruiter and the rest is history."
That decision has taken her to bases around the world, such as bringing a Torah to Joint Base Balad in Iraq in 2009.
"My joining the military, I think, really fits into how I see my connection with history and the world and the world community. I believe in a strong America. I think that this country is worth defending and that the people here do a lot of good for the rest of the world. It's how I feel. It's what I believe."
Hosting Shabbat dinners
Captain Schechter believes she is an ambassador for Judaism. She has helped two sergeants reconnect with their faith as adults and complete b'nai mitzvah.
Describing her experiences during deployments as rich and amazing – as a chaplain – she also has a specific military mission.
"My job is a sort of like a spiritual sheep dog in a way. There's the commander. He is the one or she is the one who is leading everyone. I am there supporting the commander helping everyone kind of go in the right direction, and really it's sort of like I'm a spiritual social worker."
For Captain Schechter, her mission is also about building community.
She personally prepares Shabbat dinners, cramming as many as 22 Jews and non-Jews – service members and family members – into her cramped on-base housing for a home cooked meal and prayers.
"We try to have people over for dinner every Friday night. That's when we have our Friday night Sabbath dinner, but the majority of people who come are non-Jews because they are curious. They are interested in learning about Judaism, and this is a great opportunity for us to share – not to convert people but to give them an insight into the richness and the depth and the beauty of Judaism."
For now, one of her tasks is to support the crew and staff of Air Force One – the president's iconic plane.
Shortly Captain Sarah Schechter will be starting a new adventure. She'll become the new rabbi at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs Colorado.
She says no matter where she is deployed around the world, it is her job to support the many enlisted men and women and their families in all the many challenges that they face.
