McDonough Discusses State of VA at 2022 Convention

By Cara Rinkoff, Managing Editor

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough delivered the keynote address during the opening ceremony of JWV’s 127th Annual National Convention in Savannah, Georgia. McDonough said he came to the convention to give an update on the latest work the VA is doing as well as to hear some of JWV’s concerns. “I’m here because these are true heroes, patriots, and people that I can learn a great deal from and that’s what we’ve done today,” McDonough said. “I’m thrilled to…make sure that we’re living up to not only the president’s command to me to fight like hell for vets but living up to the high expectations of the Jewish War Veterans, to make sure we’re doing right by them.”

McDonough spoke to JWV just two days before President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, which he called the biggest expansion of veteran benefits in history. The Secretary noted that this would not have happened without the hard work and advocacy of JWV.

He said the VA still needs JWV to pass along a few messages about the PACT Act to ensure all veterans get the care and benefits they’ve earned. “First, we at VA want veterans and survivors to apply for their PACT Act benefits right now. Second, we will begin processing the PACT Act benefits for veterans and survivors on the earliest date possible, which is January first. And third, any veteran or survivor can learn more about the PACT Act by visiting www.va.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411,” McDonough said.

McDonough said another goal he hopes to tackle at the VA is ending veteran homelessness. “Our focus here is on two simple goals: getting vets into homes and preventing them from falling into homelessness in the first place.” McDonough said the VA is currently halfway to its target of finding permanent homes for 38,000 veterans this calendar year. McDonough also hopes to increase the housing supply, make existing housing more affordable for veterans, and then get vets any treatment they may need – for substance abuse or mental health issues – to ensure they can remain in their homes.

While the VA is doubling down on its telehealth capabilities, the Secretary said the department is also investing in infrastructure. “We’re going to modernize our facilities…because vets in the 21st century should not be forced to receive care in early 20th century buildings,” McDonough said. “Instead, we need to build a VA health care system with the right facilities, in the right places, to provide the right care for veterans in every part of the country.”

McDonough said suicide prevention is the top clinical priority of the VA.

The Secretary also talked about the expansion of the caregiver program, saying that in October, the program of comprehensive assistance will be available to every generation of veterans.
McDonough said, “VA don’t serve some vets. We serve all vets.” He said this means that female veterans will get the care they need, that all LGBTQ+ vets will get the service and support they need, and that racial disparities within the VA system will be eliminated. “In this administration no veteran is going to have to fight to get the quality care and benefits they’ve earned—no matter who they are, where they’re from, how they worship, or who they love.”

In short, McDonough used his speech to address the importance of the Jewish War Veterans to his department and veterans in general.
“The partnership between VA and JWV is all about working together to deliver for veterans,” McDonough said.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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NMAJMH Hosts Widow of Medal of Honor Recipient

By Cara Rinkoff, Managing Editor

Father. Friend. Family. Those are the three words that Katie Celiz says in her mind best describe her late husband, Army Ranger Christopher Celiz.

Katie Celiz spoke to JWV members during the National Museum of American Jewish Military History’s event at our National Convention in Savannah on Sunday, August 7.

President Biden posthumously awarded Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz the Medal of Honor for actions he took on July 12, 2018.

The citation read by the president at the ceremony on December 16, 2021, said in part,
“…Celiz voluntarily exposed himself to intense enemy machine-gun and small-arms fire to retrieve and employ a heavy weapon system, thereby allowing U.S. and partnered forces to regain the initiative, maneuver to a secure location, and begin treatment of a critically wounded partnered force member…. Celiz willingly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire to direct and lead the evacuation. As the casualty moved from a position of cover and out into intense enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Celiz made a conscious effort to ensure his body acted as a physical shield to his team carrying the casualty and the crew of the aircraft. As the casualty was loaded and Sergeant First Class Celiz’s team returned to cover, he alone remained at the aircraft… With his final reposition, Sergeant First Class Celiz placed himself directly between the cockpit and the enemy, ensuring the aircraft was able to depart. As the helicopter lifted off, Sergeant First Class Celiz was hit by enemy fire. Fully aware of his own injury but understanding the peril to the aircraft from the intense enemy machine gun fire, Sergeant First Class Celiz motioned to the aircraft to depart rather than remain behind to load him.”

“I have no idea what thoughts crossed his mind when he decided to perform such an act of heroism. However, I do know that Chris followed his heart and his gut,” Katie Celiz said. “He took a brief moment to consider the consequences, and in true Chris fashion, decided to do whatever was most necessary to protect those he cared about.”

Katie Celiz talked about the importance of Jewish faith to both her and Christopher.

“He was proud of our Jewish faith and found it extremely important that our daughter grow up with a strong Judaic education.”

She told members a story about how he created a menorah out of turkey for their congregation, Mickve Israel, when Hannukah fell at the same time as Thanksgiving.

Katie Celiz also talked about how his work family was just as important as she and her daughter were to Christopher.

“Chris not only wanted his work family to succeed, but he did everything in his power to provide them the tools to surpass his personal and professional goals,” Katie Celiz said. “Chris strongly believed that leadership was not simply giving orders, leadership was leading by example, and not asking something of someone that you are not willing to do yourself.”

Katie Celiz said that while she still has no answers as to why Chris took the actions he did, she noted, “I find some comfort in knowing that Chris will never be forgotten by those whose lives he’s touched.” She added her thanks to organizations like the Jewish War Veterans for making sure the memory of her husband stays alive and well.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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Honoring All Our Service

By Rabbi Aaron Stucker-Rozovsky

United States Marines Corporal Paul Fagundes, Lance Corporal Giovani Cruz, and Lance Corporal James May Jr. They weren’t shot by a Taliban sniper in Marjah, Afghanistan; they weren’t blown up by an IED in Baghdad; nor were they torn apart by an ISIS mortar in Syria. They met their end on July 4, 2010 when they drowned in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while serving with Fleet Anti-terrorism Team (FAST), Alpha Company, 6th Platoon.

I was serving in GITMO as a deployed Army National Guard Military Police Platoon Leader the day Fagundes, Cruz, and May died. There hasn’t been a Marine Corps birthday, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or July 4th since, where I haven’t thought of these three young Marines, how their lives were so suddenly and sadly snuffed out, and how the lives of their dear families, friends, and hometowns were forever affected. Despite the deaths of these three young men, these Marines, despite the fact that there were soldiers in my company who worked 17 hour days for 6-7 days straight in extreme heat and humidity, despite the fact that we were tasked with securing one of the most high visibility and strategic detention facilities in the world, and despite the fact that we were separated from our loved ones for a year, when we got home, some fellow service members had the gall to tell us, “You know you weren’t on a real deployment, right?”

How hurtful, how belittling, how shameful, how flatly untrue.

I have been deployed overseas twice, to both Guantanamo and Afghanistan, and I am equally proud of both deployments – the people I served with, the missions I was on, the units whose patch I have the privilege of wearing – all of it.

During World War II, the 150th Infantry Regiment of the West Virginia Army National Guard was deployed overseas. They didn’t fight at Salerno, Normandy, or Bastogne, and they didn’t storm Guam, Leyte, or Okinawa. Their role was protecting the Panama Canal. Imagine how much more drawn out, how much bloodier an Allied victory would have been without the canal and the vital link it provided between two theaters of war. Being such a linchpin, a prized jewel in the American defense enterprise, someone had to defend it from would-be saboteurs, Nazi spy rings, prowling U-boats, and even possible German and Japanese air raids, and these proud Mountaineers did just that. These West Virginians were part of the peak strength of 119,000 American service men and women defending the Canal and the Caribbean in December 1942. I wonder though, if when these soldiers came home after the war, they too received the same reception that my fellow Guardsmen and I received when we returned in 2010.

In the book of Vayikra (Leviticus), specifically 25:17, we are commanded to abide by the following decree: “Do not wrong one another.” Traditional sources and commentators such as Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah have said this means not harming one another through speech. Additionally, Leviticus 19:16 instructs us, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people.” Maimonides again tells us that this means that we are not to speak ill of others. Finally, Leviticus 19:17, proclaims “thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart.” Maimonides comments here too that this means we are not to embarrass others.

We as veterans have a solemn duty and a moral responsibility to uplift all our fellow veterans and service men and women, regardless of branch, service component, length of service, rank, MOS, or rating, and to honor them for their service, sacrifice, and commitment. Anything less would be hillul HaShem (a desecration of G-d’s holy name). Likewise, no one should ever feel the need to hide or be ashamed of their service because it wasn’t well-known or didn’t have a movie or film made about it. Why? Because the defense of our great nation takes all of us. Protecting our country is a team effort and each of us is an essential member of that team.

Perhaps there is no more fitting conclusion than this. At the memorial service for Fagundes, Cruz, and May, Major Winston Tierny, commander of the Marine Security Force Company Guantanamo Bay said, “Our hearts were broken this past Sunday by a horrible tragedy as we lost three young American fighting men. While not lost in combat, they were lost in the defense of our nation.” These words should serve as a poignant reminder to us all in honoring the service of our fellow veterans.

Bizrat HaShem we may always remember to celebrate and venerate all veterans and service men and women, no matter the time or place where they served!

Rabbi Aaron Stucker-Rozovsky has been in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve for over 16 years as both a Military Police Officer and Chaplain. He was deployed to Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He currently serves as the Deputy Command Chaplain for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and holds the rank of Major. In his civilian career, he is the Rabbi of Beth El Congregation in Winchester, Virginia. He and his wife Eliza have three cats.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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D’vrei HaShomrim by Rabbi Melinda Zalma

We live in a time of increasing polarization, where people don’t talk to friends and family who see the world differently. We seem to be moving farther away from each other, responding with anger, hate, and hurt, when we are hurt ourselves. But even in these times, I have hope, for I see a way, based on our sacred texts, to build bridges of understanding and help heal our communities, one person at a time.

When I see the hatred and intolerance all around, I go back to the beginning, to the creation of humans. Genesis 1:26 states, “Then G-d said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness.’” We are all created in G-d’s image, b’tzelem Elokim, even those we disagree with, even those whose beliefs seem opposite to our values.

But wouldn’t it be easier if we surrounded ourselves with those like us? Isn’t that what we’re doing? Or trying to make others in our own image? This is not what G-d desires or planned.
Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 teaches,

And [Adam was created singly] to proclaim the greatness of the Blessed Holy One, for a human being stamps many coins with one die and they are all alike one with the other, but the King of the kings of kings, the Blessed Holy One, has stamped all of humanity with the die of the first person, and yet not one of them is like her fellow.

How is a human being’s uniqueness a manifestation of the greatness of G-d? It is not simply because of G-d’s ability to create different people from a single model. There is a deeper meaning. We are different from each other—in the way we look, think, and believe—through the design of the Infinite. G-d could have stamped out people who all were the same. But that wasn’t what G-d chose to do. G-d chose to create unique individuals. We come from the same stamp, from the first human being, to teach us that despite our differences, we all come from the Divine. When we remember this in our interactions with those we disagree with, then there is the possibility of connecting and building bridges.

In our polarization, we often voluntarily separate ourselves from those we disagree with, and it is difficult to build bridges with those we don’t interact with. We need to expose ourselves to people who are different than we are and approach our differences with curiosity, always remembering that they, too, are created b’tzelem Elokim.

In our service in the military, we have a unique chance to live this on a daily basis. No matter when or where you served, you interacted and worked with people very different from you. Think of a time when in these interactions you remembered that they were created from the same stamp and strive to understand them and help them understand you. Take that experience and bring it to your civilian life. Seek out those who are different from you, approach them with dignity and curiosity deserving of one created by G-d. Join me in this holy endeavor.

Volume 76. Number 2. 2022

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The Jewish War Veterans Indispensable Role: Amended National Constitution and Bylaws

By National Commander Nelson L. Mellitz, Colonel, USAF, Ret.

In February 2022, National Commander Alan Paley called for an update to JWV’s Constitution and Bylaws, including the numerous amendments proposed in 2020 and 2021. Paley directed Scott Stevens and I to update the documents with the help of committee members PNC David Magidson, PNC Harvey Weiner, PNC Larry Schulman, National Judge Advocate Peter Nickitas, Barry Lischinsky, Larry Jasper, and Kim Queen.

The committee quickly determined that incorporating the amendments into the documents would produce 20th century documents with 21st century amendments. The committee’s mission was revised to completely rewrite both documents. After months of virtual meetings, the amended JWV Constitution and Bylaws were finalized. They are not perfect but incorporate most of the proposed amendments and are easy to read, follow, and use. The new Constitution and Bylaws with amendments will govern us for the next 25 years and beyond.

The committee took great care in eliminating any sexist terminology like chairman and serviceman. We could not change the Preamble because its part of our Congressionally approved charter. We did add a National Advisory Council which will make our organization more democratic in its decision making when the NEC is not in session.

Our new Constitution and Bylaws were approved during our National Convention in August and are now posted on the JWV website. These documents allow for amendments so that they will reflect the JWV membership’s continuously changing needs.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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Loretta Z. Weiss, Patriot Extraordinaire

By Eric Spinner, Post 652

Many women have served in our military over the years, and all have gone well beyond the normal expectations that society, in general, has set for them. Periodically one meets a person who has defied the odds, served her country, and made a mark in the historical record. This is a story of one of these remarkable veterans.

At 103-years-old, Loretta Weiss is still spirited and pushing the limit as much as possible. On Thursday, June 2, several of us had the opportunity to visit her at the Long Island State Veterans Home (LISVH) in Stonybrook, New York to celebrate her birthday. She was able to show her appreciation for all the attention using a text-to-speech function on a smartphone.

LISVH Director Fred Sganga welcomed the guests and recounted the accomplishments of this great lady. Post 336 member Ed Bram presented her with an honorary JWV Life Membership pin and gave her a JWV cap. Also attending were Past Department Commander Mel Cohen, Department Commander Gary Glick, and other members of Post 652.

SFC Weiss served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2013 and is a longtime member of JWV. We are proud to have her in our ranks!

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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Dr. Ken Hartman

By Ken Greenberg, National Executive Director

Former Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Tom Bowman participated in an advocacy session during the 2022 National Convention.
During the session, National ExecuBy Larry Jasper, National Editor

Meet Dr. Ken Hartman, a man of many talents, from humble beginnings.

Hartman is the son of a Holocaust survivor. His father, Paul, was liberated by a soldier, and he fostered a lifelong respect for the military. He came to America as a refugee.
Hartman’s parents taught him that the privilege and freedom in America were so unique and precious, he should never take them for granted. This inspired him to join ROTC in college and to serve as an Army officer.

Hartman graduated and served mostly in armor and military police units from 1980 until 1989, fulfilling his desire to do something for his country.

After his service, he went on to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D. He served several decades as a university professor, senior academic administrator, consultant, and university president.
Hartman wrote numerous books and scholarly publications and is an active presenter at industry conferences. He was also the author of a nationally syndicated newspaper column and was a technology reporter for an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.

In 2009 he found his real passion. It always troubled Hartman that when high school graduates went off to college there was a lot of fanfare, but graduates who went into the military were largely ignored. He founded Our Community Salutes (OCS), a non-profit organization with the motto, “The First to Say Thank You.”

OCS is dedicated to honoring graduating high school seniors and their parents who made the commitment to serve their country. OCS had a humble beginning in Vorhees, New Jersey, where a facility was rented, and recruiters brought their inductees for a dinner and salute to them and their families.

Today, OCS ceremonies are held throughout the country (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Over 250,000 high school seniors have been honored since 2009, with each receiving the 96-page OCS pocket-guide to the nation’s founding documents, as well as an OCS challenge coin.

Hartman has been a member of JWV Post 126 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey for six years. In 2020, the Department of New Jersey awarded OCS its Organization of the Year Award.
If you are interested in learning how to support OCS, contact Dr. Hartman at ken@ocsusa.org.

Hartman lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey with his wife Marti and has two adult children.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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What Can You Do About Anti-Semitism?

By David Levin, Post 425

It’s no secret that antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity has been on the rise in this country over the last few years. I use the term activity to include things happening online, demonstrations, rhetoric, real-world violence, student intimidation, as well as political posturing. Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 34% between 2020 and 2021 according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). These incidents are now at their highest level since the ADL started compiling information about antisemitism in 1979.

This is not 1933 Germany. No group is going around pulling you from your home because you are a Jew, look like a Jew, or consort with Jews. But people have been murdered because of Jew hatred, most notably at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018. Antisemitism has been around in various forms for various reasons for thousands of years, and it will likely never be eliminated completely. This essay is written solely to get us thinking, and hopefully acting to make a dent in the problem.

I can’t begin to enumerate the pro-Jewish/Israel organizations who send me snail mail or email in the fight against antisemitism. They are working hard to educate and influence people through podcasts, conferences, literature, and lobbying elected officials. One wonders if they can reach the minds of the troublemakers or those most likely to cause trouble in the future. What can we do besides speak to like-minded people, stay informed, and support some of these wonderful entities financially?

We realize that no racial or ethnic group is homogeneous in their moral, cultural, intellectual, or physical attributes. But the hard-core antisemite lumps all Jews together, usually based on some perceived negative encounter or characteristic. One approach is to support educating gentiles, and sometimes ourselves, by emphasizing Jewish contributions to mankind as well as the Torah values that Judaism represents. The way in which these values have a commonality with other religions and cultures could be a foundation of this educational program.

The Holocaust Museum and Center for Tolerance and Education located at Rockland Community College (RCC) in Suffern, New York, led by Executive Director Andrea Winograd, has been working hard with student groups and community visitors in this area for many years, and is now in a new and expanded milieu. Besides the education efforts, promoting the concept of tolerance along with the baton of love and mutual respect to all we encounter will go far to achieve our goal. After all, how else can we legitimately call ourselves the light for all nations?

I recently saw the movie “Shared Legacies” at RCC, along with Jews, Blacks, elected officials, and other interested community members. It was a survey of the Civil Rights alliance between Blacks and Jews, with a focus on the close relationship between the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. When these two giants of their time passed on, in 1968 and 1972 respectively, the alliance, bereft of these leaders, began to wither away.

The point to be made is that a vigorous and successful response to antisemitism is unlikely without strong leaders and engaged followers who can overlook their differences and unite behind these leaders. In my opinion, both the lack of courageous and charismatic leadership as well as the lack of unanimity and common resolve among the followers has impeded the effort. Policy makers, interfaith clergy, leaders of educational institutions, businesses, and media, must all realize that intolerance and disrespect of the “other” has the potential to weaken our nation and is a threat to common humanity.

The late Lubavitcher Rebbe surmised that the avowed antisemite has a void in their life that they try to fill with Jew hatred because they were not exposed to Torah. For sure, unless explained by intellectual or mental deficiency, what logic could deny or distort the Holocaust, see Jews as a threat to white people, or rationalize the isolation or intimidation of Jewish college students based on their cultural beliefs?

Interestingly, the Rebbe felt that a possible strategy was to engage with leaders of some antisemitic groups in a quiet and diplomatic manner as an attempt to educate and possibly find some mutual understanding. So, what may be necessary are education, engagement, and a united effort to be an upstander rather than a bystander on this issue. That doesn’t mean risking an emotional or physical confrontation, but it does require a moral commitment, and sharing the love we all have within us.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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