Offering assistance to servicemen; The duty of Jewish chaplain to break the status quo
Ab 28, 5704
August 17, 1944
Chaplain Norman M. Goldburg
Office of the Post Chaplain
Fort Lewis, Washington
Dear Chaplain Goldburg:
We are in receipt of your letter of July 26 and are happy to hear that our brochures have been of great use for the soldiers of your camp.
Our organization considers it its duty to help the Jewish servicemen and to strengthen them spiritually. If you find that there are other ways in which we can help we shall be glad to render assistance to the best of our ability.
The main duties of the chaplain are those of spiritual and religious encouragement to bring the boys of the respective camps closer to Judaism. By the reports we have received from different areas where servicemen are stationed we have learned that many of them who did not have any connection at all with their religion are being brought closer to the heritage of our people, through the various agencies of the service.
Surely it is only the start that is difficult with those whom circumstances may have caused them to be somewhat estranged from religion thus far. Once the "status quo" is broken even slightly our sages assure us that one good deed will precipitate the performing of another until the individual is brought much closer to his religion and his people.
Looking forward to an early communication on any such matters, we remain, with Torah Greetings,
Rabbi M. Schneerson
Chairman, Executive Committee
P.S. Under separate cover you will receive, with our compliments, our latest publication "Forty Centuries" and "Tefillin".
