Submission #27961 by South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503)
2023
I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Bringing Hanukkah to Jewish Troops
Jewish Observance
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As part of the South Jersey Men’s Club’s (SJMC) efforts to support the Jewish community at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (Joint Base MDL) in Southern New Jersey, we helped organize the base Hanukkah party, provided gifts for the young children, and presented the community with the large menorah and candles for a community-wide Hanukkah party.
Background –
There has been an active Jewish chapel at the Joint Base MDL (originally known as the Fort Dix Army Post) since its establishment in 1917. It has over 100,000 uniformed servicemembers as residents or passing through each year, including thousands of Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC has been supporting Jewish families at the base since at least 2002, with donations of clothes, food, sanitary items, and money for individuals, when needed. In 2019, the Chaplain-in-Charge of all 11 base chapels determined there was no need for the Jewish and Muslim chapels. He disassembled and discarded all the holy items from both the Jewish and Muslim chapels. When the Chaplain-in-Charge’s actions were discovered by the Jewish War Veterans base liaison, the Chaplain was fired by the base commander. Then, the action was taken to restore the Jewish and Muslim chapels by local Jewish community members. Later, the local Muslim community joined in helping to restore the Muslim chapel.
Response by the SJMC –
In October 2022, the SJMC became aware of a large menorah available in the Cherry Hill community that could be donated to the Joint Base MDL Jewish chapel during Hanukkah in December 2022. The Jewish chaplain at the base was contacted and informed of the menorah’s availability. He was extremely enthusiastic and asked that this menorah be donated as part of the upcoming Hanukkah party. In fact, the chaplain asked if we could expand the party to include non-Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC helped to support the expanded party with food for all and gifts for the children.
The base Hanukkah party was attended by at least 75 people (service members and their families), plus another 25 Jewish members from the local community and several from New York and Pennsylvania. The base commander and his wife also attended and lit a candle. The party started with a traditional Jewish lighting of the newly donated SJMC menorah and a story of why the menorah is important for Hanukkah. The party had traditional food and music, and lots of presents for the young children.
There has been an active Jewish chapel at the Joint Base MDL (originally known as the Fort Dix Army Post) since its establishment in 1917. It has over 100,000 uniformed servicemembers as residents or passing through each year, including thousands of Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC has been supporting Jewish families at the base since at least 2002, with donations of clothes, food, sanitary items, and money for individuals, when needed. In 2019, the Chaplain-in-Charge of all 11 base chapels determined there was no need for the Jewish and Muslim chapels. He disassembled and discarded all the holy items from both the Jewish and Muslim chapels. When the Chaplain-in-Charge’s actions were discovered by the Jewish War Veterans base liaison, the Chaplain was fired by the base commander. Then, the action was taken to restore the Jewish and Muslim chapels by local Jewish community members. Later, the local Muslim community joined in helping to restore the Muslim chapel.
Response by the SJMC –
In October 2022, the SJMC became aware of a large menorah available in the Cherry Hill community that could be donated to the Joint Base MDL Jewish chapel during Hanukkah in December 2022. The Jewish chaplain at the base was contacted and informed of the menorah’s availability. He was extremely enthusiastic and asked that this menorah be donated as part of the upcoming Hanukkah party. In fact, the chaplain asked if we could expand the party to include non-Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC helped to support the expanded party with food for all and gifts for the children.
The base Hanukkah party was attended by at least 75 people (service members and their families), plus another 25 Jewish members from the local community and several from New York and Pennsylvania. The base commander and his wife also attended and lit a candle. The party started with a traditional Jewish lighting of the newly donated SJMC menorah and a story of why the menorah is important for Hanukkah. The party had traditional food and music, and lots of presents for the young children.
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Original Program