Serving G-d and Country, Chabad Chaplains Bring Purim to the Troops

As Purim approaches, thousands of Chabad emissaries worldwide are gearing up for the holiday’s joyous celebrations. Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin is no exception. What sets him apart, however, is his unique congregation—25 active-duty Navy officers stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Northern California.

Rubin serves as both a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary and an active-duty chaplain in the U.S. Navy. In this dual role, he provides religious and educational support to Jewish military personnel, whether at sea or on shore. He recently returned from a deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, stationed in the Arabian Sea, where he led Jewish services and offered spiritual guidance to the servicemen.

“Serving as both a Chabad rabbi and a chaplain in the U.S. Navy comes with unique challenges that you wouldn’t find in traditional rabbinic roles,” Rubin says. “But they pale in comparison to the profound rewards. Every day, I have the privilege of connecting with Jewish service members who might otherwise not have the chance of engaging with their heritage.”

Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin teaches a Torah class abroad the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

Chabad for the Military

Providing religious services for the military is nothing new for Chabad, which has been active in this space in the United States since the 1940s. After arriving in the U.S. from war-torn Europe, the Sixth Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of sainted memory—began spreading Judaism across America. He established a special division within Chabad-Lubavitch’s educational arm, Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, dedicated to meeting the religious needs of Jews in the armed forces.

After his passing, his son-in-law and successor, the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—continued to champion the needs of Jewish servicemen.

Even as Chabad expanded to unprecedented proportions, establishing centers across the globe, the Rebbe continued to emphasize the vital importance of providing Jewish servicemen with the resources to celebrate holidays and stay connected to their heritage.

Frequently, in letters sent out before Jewish holidays, the Rebbe stressed this need, as in this 1981 message:

“ … Of course, to care and provide also for Jews who find themselves in special circumstances (in military service, senior citizens’ homes, orphanages, hospitals, correctional institutions) to enable them to celebrate Purim fully.”

That same year, the Aleph Institute was founded to provide spiritual and support services to Jews in enclosed environments: the U.S. military, as well as to those who find themselves in the prison system.

Within this framework, a unique phenomenon has emerged in recent years. While Chabad rabbis traditionally provided support to Jewish servicemen from outside the military, today, a growing number of Chabad rabbis serve as active-duty chaplains. This allows them to offer full spiritual and religious support from within the bases and during deployments.

Rabbi Chesky Tennenbaum, left, and Dan Berkovitz, right, partnered to bring the joy of Purim to veterans in Maryland.

Rabbi Chaim Roome is another such example. Stationed in Okinawa, Japan, he provides religious services to Jewish personnel among the 50,000 military members across the island’s 13 bases, as well as the 45,000 dependents and civilians living there.

“Military personnel are frequently redeployed and constantly moving, so my congregation is always changing,” says Roome. “But at any given time, there are between 150 and 200 Jewish servicemen and civilians working for the military on the island.”

In some ways, Roome and his wife, Meira—who arrived in Okinawa with their five children this past October—almost feel like they’re in America. With a large American population, the island boasts amenities like an American-style supermarket stocked with imported goods, including many kosher-certified items rarely found in East Asia. These are a rarity even for fellow Chabad rabbis in neighboring regions.

Yet, in other ways, the challenges they face are even greater.

“Our biggest challenge is education for our children. As you can imagine, there are no Jewish schools on the island, so our kids attend the Chabad’s Shluchim Online School—an incredible resource but tricky due to the time difference,” says Roome. “One of our children starts class at 4 p.m.!”

But knowing they are there for their Jewish brothers and sisters keeps the Roomes motivated.

“About two months ago, I returned from a month-long training course in the States. I was exhausted from the journey, and my wife was drained after managing everything alone with the kids for the entire month.” The couple briefly considered skipping hosting Shabbat meals that week to rest and recover.

“Then I got a two-line text from one of our Jewish Marines: ‘Rabbi, are you hosting Shabbos? I need Jewish.’”

That was all the reminder they needed. “This is why we’re here—for the Jew who ‘needs Jewish,’ for the serviceman or woman who needs support, whether spiritually, emotionally, or in any other way,” says Roome. “To give them a warm Jewish hug. Of course, we ended up hosting him that Shabbat, and we continue to support him on his Jewish journey.”

This Purim, Roome will be traveling across Okinawa to reach every Jew he can, while also hosting Megillah readings and celebrations at central locations. “Jewish men and women are scattered across the island, which takes about two hours to drive from end to end. Some can’t come to us due to duty, training or lack of transportation,” he explains. “We’re doing our best to reach every single one. There’s no other Purim event they can attend without crossing an ocean.”

On the other side of the Pacific, Rubin is also preparing to reach every Jew on base in Lemoore, even if the numbers are much smaller.

“It doesn’t matter that our congregation is small,” he states. “That’s exactly why we’re here—to ensure that not a single Jew is left behind.

“Even though I’m stationed in California, I’d say nearly all the servicemen on base would have no visible connection to Judaism if we weren’t here. The nearest Chabad House is an hour away, in Fresno. We will be reaching out to each one over Purim, arranging private Megillah readings for some and inviting others to a festive Purim celebration.”

Rabbi Chesky Tennenbaum drops off mishloach manot at the home of a veteran.

Supporting the Veterans

Even after servicemen complete their service, Chabad continues to support them—both in their civilian lives and in their honored roles as U.S. veterans.

Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum directs the Jewish Uniformed Service Association Chabad (JUSA), a Baltimore-based organization dedicated to serving the spiritual needs of veterans and uniformed service members, including law enforcement, the Secret Service, and first responders. He also serves as a chaplain in the Maryland State Guard and even made history as the first in the State Guard permitted to keep a beard for religious reasons.

“An organization dedicated specifically to veterans and uniformed service members is so vital because, even after their service ends, veterans remain a close-knit group,” explains Rabbi Tenenbaum. “They naturally connect with others who understand their experiences, their lingo, and their unique challenges. As both a rabbi to veterans and a chaplain in the State Guard, I get to be ‘part of the crew’—and that gives me the opportunity to help them connect with their Judaism.”

Ahead of Purim, Rabbi Tenenbaum teamed up with Dan Berkovitz, a Marine Corps veteran, to bring holiday cheer to Jewish veterans across Maryland.

Berkovitz, who served in Kuwait and Iraq before spending four years in the Marines’ Individual Ready Reserve, rose to the rank of sergeant during his service. After completing his military career, he reconnected with his Jewish heritage through Tenenbaum and JUSA. Today, he’s paying it forward—helping others strengthen their own connection to Judaism.

With the help of a team of volunteers, Tenenbaum and Berkovitz packed mishloach manot—gift packages of food traditionally distributed on Purim—for Jewish veterans across Maryland. Alongside the holiday treats were messages of gratitude and appreciation, thanking the veterans for their service to the country.

“For many veterans, especially those in assisted-living facilities or facing isolation, these packages are more than just a gift—they’re a reminder that we remember and cherish them,” says Rabbi Tenenbaum.

A happy veteran receives a Purim package.

From Purim and Throughout the Year

The work of these Chabad emissaries continues long after Purim ends—long after the costumes are packed up, the hamantaschen eaten, and the Megillah stored away for next year.

Day by day, week by week, they stand by their Jewish brothers and sisters in uniform—serving those in the U.S. Army, Navy, National Guard, State Guard and Law Enforcement. And they will continue to be there, no matter the circumstances, even if it means spending six months on an aircraft carrier, as Rubin just did.

During his deployment, Rubin led Rosh Hashanah prayers, built possibly the first-ever sukkah on an aircraft carrier (going viral in the process), and hosted Shabbat meals, prayers and classes. For six months, he alternated between frozen dinners and MREs, relying on supplies flown in by plane for any urgent religious needs.

“As long as there is one Jewish person in the military, we will be there for them—on land, on ship or in the air,” he says. “This was the Rebbe’s vision, and it continues to inspire us to do what we do.”