Sheila doing the pledge with Allentown Jewish Day School.
By Ben Kane, Programs Assistant
Post Commander Sheila Berg of Lehigh Valley Post 239 is no stranger to the JWV and its community outreach programs. Sheila serves not just as a Project Maggid speaker, but also as JWV’s Chairwoman of the Women in the Military Committee and has previously served as an NEC for the Department of Pennsylvania. Recently, Sheila was a participant in a Veterans Day ceremony at the Allentown Jewish Day School, where she shared her story with the students.
Retired Senior Master Sergeant Sheila Berg, originally from Westbury, Long Island, joined the United States Air Force reserves in 1980 because she wanted to serve our country and sought a challenge. For 14 years, she served as a jet-engine mechanic in and around Dover Air Force Base. She also deployed to Iraq during the Gulf War. After 14 years as a jet engine mechanic, Berg became 1st Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of Family Readiness for the Reserves at Dover and was called up to Active Duty for 3 years. In 2009, SMSG (ret) Sheila Berg decided to hang up her hat from the military, and she decided to give her experience and expertise to JWV and the Jewish community.
Sheila with the 7th Grade group.
During this Veterans Day, she first joined the Middle School students of Allentown Jewish Day School for a flag raising ceremony, and following that, she gave a talk to the students at an assembly. Several guests, high ranking military personnel and representatives joined her for this talk, including Rabbi (Lieutenant Commander) Seth Phillips, State Representative Michael Schlossberg, Naval Commander Sean Boyle, Captain and Jewish Day School (JDS) parent Kristen Johnson, and JDS teacher and IDF veteran Merav Wirthiem.
“It was an educational and interesting assembly, with a great deal of wisdom imparted to the students,” said Sheila. The assembly concluded with Rabbi Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Seth Phillips remarking that “people in uniform are the most peace loving of all, because we know the cost. We don’t long for a fight. We wish we all could live in Shalom”.
Speakers, like Sheila, go out into Jewish communities through JWV’s Project Maggid storyteller program. To date. it has proven itself to be a very popular program with over 100 speakers telling stories of Jewish veterans in 2018. Any veteran interested in being a Project Maggid speaker is invited to reach out to JWV National Headquarters and learn how you can become one.
Volume 72. Number 4. Winter 2018
