The Jewish Veteran Issue 1 2020
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Volume 74 • Number 1 • 2020 The Jewish Veteran A Jewish Voice for Veterans and a Veteran’s Voice for Jews VA Secretary Wilkie Addresses JWV and JWVA Members at NEC 2020 By Cara Rinkoff Wilkie said he thinks The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is stron- electronic health records ger than ever before, and is working hard for all vet- will be online in late erans. This is just one part of the message delivered spring or summer. He by VA Secretary Robert Wilkie when he addressed hopes these records will members of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. keep track of medical during its National Executive Committee (NEC) history “the minute that meeting on February 14 in Arlington, Virginia. young American walks Wilkie told JWV that ensuring the strength of into the military process- his department is how he can thank veterans for ing station to the minute their service and sacrifice to the country. “We have that American is handed the highest patient satisfaction rates in our history. over to the VA.” 90 percent of our veterans are completly satisfied By the end of March, with the services they get at VA. It is our eternal Wilkie hopes the VA will promise that the promise given to Americans vet- present a report to the erans by Mr. Lincoln be kept. That we shall care country about veteran sui- for those who have borne the battle,” Wilkie added. cide. He said it is time for The Secretary also talked about privatization a national conversation to concerns. He noted that, “only in Washington, begin about this important D.C., would a $240 billion budget be cause for con- topic. “The United States cern about privatization.” This budget is the second Army started taking sta- Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie (Photograph by Lou Michaels). largest of any agency in the federal government, tistics on veteran suicide, second only to the Department of Defense. on Army suicide, during the administration of more federal reports that no one will read. Wilkie said the new Mission Act will allow Benjamin Harrison in 1892. And yet, we have nev- Wilkie said he also wanted to bring JWV a veterans to receive services from the private sec- er had a national conversation about what it means message from President Donald Trump in regards tor without the need to privatize the VA. He said when warriors come back,” Wilkie noted. He add- to anti-Semitism. Wilkie said Trump is the most another benefit of the new law is that veterans are ed that until there is a national conversation, all in- forceful opponent of anti-Semitism and added, eligible for coverage of their urgent care visits. vestigations of veteran suicide will amount to are Continued on page 9 National Commander Weiner Testifies Before Congress By Cara Rinkoff on February 26. Weiner decided to deviate from doing your job and by doing right, regardless of the The Jewish War Veterans National Commander the typical testimony given by our organization’s political consequences, including the possibility, or Harvey Weiner testified before a joint hearing of the commander, and instead submitted our legislative even the probability, that you will lose your job by House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees priorities in a written document. being voted out of office,” Weiner said. For his oral testimo- In his testimony Weiner addressed two main ny before the committees, areas where legislators must show courage. The Weiner decided to discuss first is to make sure military funding is not used to courage. He urged the build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. The members of the House other is for Congress to “take back the war powers and Senate to show cour- that the framers of the Constitution and your own age by standing up for vet- 1973 War Powers Resolution gave you.” erans and members of the military. “On behalf of all Here is the entirety of Weiner’s oral testimony: veterans, past and present, Chairman Moran and Chairman Takano, and all service personnel, Ranking Members Tester and Roe, I am Harvey past and present, I am ask- Weiner, a Vietnam War combat veteran and the ing each and every one of National Commander of the Jewish War Veterans of you to show courage by Continued on page 3 CONTENTS D’vrei HaShomrim ..................2 JWV in the Community .......12 Message From the National Ladies Auxiliary ...18 Commander ............................. 3 Museum News........................20 On The Hill ................................4 Taps ........................................... 22 Membership Corner ...............6 D'vrei HaShomrim THE JEWISH Now Hear This, O Israel VETERAN By Captain Arnold E. Resnicoff, Chaplain Corps, The Jewish Veteran is the Official Publication of the U.S. Navy (Retired) Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America On a Navy ship, before an important announce- ment over the public address system, the boat- National Commander Harvey Weiner swain’s mate sounds the bosun’s call with a pipe/ National Editor Larry Jasper Managing Editor Cara Rinkoff whistle, followed by the words, “Now Hear This.” Graphics/Production Editor Christy Turner This sound to get our attention always remind- EDITORIAL OFFICE ed me of the shofar blast, and the words reminded 1811 R Street, NW • Washington, D.C. 20009 me of the beginning of the Shema: “Hear, O Israel.” Telephone (202) 265-6280 x413 In both these phrases, the word “hear” means Fax (202) 234-5662 much more than the physical act of hearing. The E-mail [email protected] Web Site www.jwv.org word is a command, closer to the old English word hearken. It means listen, understand, and obey. It The Jewish Veteran is published 4 times a year: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, by the is similar in some ways to another military phrase, Jewish War Veterans “attention to orders.” of the United States of America On the radio the word roger, which stood for 1811 R Street, NW the letter R in an older version of the phonetic al- means that the false gods of ancient times, or the Washington, DC 20009 phabet, indicates message received. However, re- false gods of modern times like money or power, Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC, and at ceived means both heard and understood. Wilco are not our God. But it also means we are not God. additional mailing offices. (from “will comply”) adds the third layer, mean- Truly hearing that one idea should change our lives. Postmaster: Send form 3579 to Jewish War Veterans, 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. ing the message was heard, understood, and will When we hear “God is one,” we should under- Subscription price in the United States is $5.00 per year, be obeyed. Although film actors often say “roger, stand that one God means we live in a world creat- included in membership. Nonmember subscriptions: wilco,” that would be redundant… although not as ed with one plan. Ancient people who believed in $10.00. Single copies: $2.50. bad as the actors who say “over and out,” rather many gods could not learn from history because Photos and articles submitted to The Jewish Veteran than choosing one or the other! they could not be sure the gods they dealt with on shall be used at the discretion of the organization. The opinions expressed in signed articles and letters in this The idea that a military command includes all one day were the same ones as on another. magazine are not necessarily those of JWV. three of these ideas – hear, understand, and obey – In a way, Jews introduced the idea of history Advertising information and rates available from the is longstanding tradition, and the Navy reply, “aye, with the idea of monotheism. We believe we can Editorial Office. JWV assumes no responsibility for aye,” specifically affirms all three components: I learn lessons of the past. We hear by searching for products and services advertised in this publication. hear, I understand, and I will obey. In other words, history’s lessons and then making those lessons a © 2020 by the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. I have received the order, understand it, and will part of our lives. NPA#112285 • ISSN 047-2019. carry it out. “God is one” also teaches that God is uniquely Reproduction without permission is prohibited. In the Bible, the Israelites at Mount Sinai, after whole, unlike human beings who are flawed and receiving God’s commandments through Moses, fragmented. Our nation’s founders dreamed that might, with every fiber of our being, not only will respond “naaseh v’nishmah,” meaning “we will we should pursue “a more perfect union” when it our lives be changed, but so will our world. do and we will hear/understand.” That reply is came to our nation. We must do the same as indi- Rabbi Resnicoff, a lifetime JWV member, the Biblical equivalent of “aye, aye” or “wilco.” viduals, pursuing integrity, the integration of our began his Naval career as a line officer and However, commentators note that because the dreams, our words, and our actions, and trying to then served in chaplain assignments including word do precedes the word understand, the theo- do a more perfect job of walking the talk. Command Chaplain, U.S. European Command, logical and philosophical lesson is that we often In 1987, I was honored to give the prayer for the “top chaplain” for military personnel of hear more deeply and understand more fully only the first United States Days of Remembrance of the all services and all faiths in an area that at the after we take action to incorporate the command- Victims of the Holocaust ceremony ever held in the time included 93 nations spanning 13 million ments into our lives.