Change is both wonderful and challenging. As I start to get back to work here at Fort Hood, I get to reconnect with old friends. I hope I have something new to share with them.
My experiences in Iraq have reminded me again of the importance of a sense of community. In a very interesting book on the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, Dr. Eliezer Berkowitz (With G-d in Hell, 1979) defines Judaism as "communal living in the presence of G-d." A big part of my work as a chaplain is creating and leading communities. That's been a big challenge here at Fort Hood.
In my absence, a new Jewish congregation has sprung up in a nearby town (Harker Heights, Texas). That's great, but I still see a need for a Jewish Chaplain and congregation on Fort Hood, and I hope to start things again later this spring.