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Friday, April 1, 1966 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE Sea bees Impressed by Chaplain Like their Christian colleagues, Jewish military chaplains are ojten called upon {o serve men of other faiths. The following story from the February 12, 1966, issue of The Providence, H. I., Journal illustrates this point very clearly, Jaccording to the Na tional Jewish Welfare Board Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy, which recruits, endorses and serves Jewish chaplains in the U. S. Armed Forces. • • • * Of 1,045 chaplains in the Navy only 10 are rabbis on active duty and one of these is at Davisville, R. I., as the first chaplain U. S. Naval Mobile Construction Bat talion No. 6 has had since 1959. And only one of the Seabees in the battalion is Jewish. This is the story of how Chap lain (Lt. j.g.) David B. Saltzman cares for the spiritual and moral welfare of a battalion of men not of his faith. The way in which he has done this since last November when he was assigned to MCB6 while it was stationed at Guantanamo Bay drew high praise from Lt. Cmdr. H. A. Tomhari, his com manding officer. Graduated from the Navy Chaplains School in Newport less than a month, the 27-year-old chaplain took over his functions at Guantanamo Bay “with youth and vigor" and has won the res pect of all officers and men of the battalion,” said Commander Tombari. “We’re proud to have him,” he added, noting that his battalion has the first Jewish chaplain ever assigned to the Seabees and the first ever to serve at the Guantanamo Bay Navy Base. How does a Jewish chaplain Atlanta Photo Engraving Co. 300 Luckie Street, N.W. MU. 8-8179 GRACIOUS GREETINGS YOU ARE invited to send your fine clothes that you would not entrust to an ordinary cleaner. Our superior workmanship and service are designed to suit even the most discriminating taste. It will be a pleasure to take care of your every day cleaning needs. Lenox Cleaners - - Laundry Lenox Shopping Center 2909 Buford Hwy. Atlanta, Ga. Holiday RHODES BAKERY 1783 Cheshire Bridge Road, N.E. TR. 6-3783 Atlanta, Ga. * « » « CHAPLAIN SALTZMAN keep busy when his battalion has only one man of his faith? Chaplain (“Father”) Saltzman, as he is called by some, busied himself at Guantanomo Bay by arranging for Protestant and Catholic chaplains from other units to conduct services for his men and by conducting Jewish services himself for the entire Jewish population of the huge Naval Base. He also was avail able to all Jewish personnel and their families in the Caribbean area, visiting San Salvador and other stations on once-a-month trips with Protestant and Cath olic chaplains. So interested is he in the wel fare of his men that he attends all of the Catholic Masses and Protestant services he arranges for MCBG to be sure that all goes smoothly. “It’s my responsibility to set up the facilities, so I am at these services to make sure that every thing is in order, that the ushers are briefed, and so on," he said. “But I attend as an observer, not as a participant.” . At Guantanamo Bay, according to his commanding officer, Chap lain Saltzman went out on the various job sites to see the men and took up his position at the battalion first aid station when MCB6 was on the Naval Base’s defense line. All this, said Commander Tom bari, is part of the chaplain’s job of boosting morale. It also made the men aware of religion and boosted attendance at Cath olic and Protestant services, he added. The commander also was im pressed by an educational pro gram Chaplain Saltzman had for the battalion’s officers. “We learned how deeply Chris tianity is rooted in the Jewish faith,” he said. “It was quite an experience.” Interviewed at MCB6 head quarters at Davisville, Chaplain Saltzman was quick to explain that he does not try to give spir itual guidance to men not of his faith. “If a man comes to me with a religious question I refer him to the priest or the minister,” he said. “If he has personal problems or one dealing with general morale, I try to solve them.” Such problems might result from death or illness in a man’s family, marital squabbles, budget difficulties or any num ber of things that “bug” a man and hurt morale. One of his own “biggest prob lems was saying grace before meals for the battalion officers in the wardroom.” He solved this by saying grace up to the point where any Chris tian formula contained in it would be offensive to a Jew, “and then I let the men go on silently by themselves.” Chaplain Saltzman seve r a 1 times cited the Chaplain Corps motto, ‘‘Cooperation without Compromise.” It is this principle which made it possible for Chaplain Saltzman to promote a Christmas decora tion contest in which the men built creches and decorated their barracks at Guantanomo Bay. He also handled all the details of arranging for a Christmas carol show in which 102 persons. Catholic and Protestant choirs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, took part. And he saw to it that the Hanukkah candles were lighted for this holiday at one side of the wardroom while the Christmas tree was at the other side. Chaplain Saltzman was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., “the heartland of America,” he said. He is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Irving Saltzman His father is a recent ly retired furrier. The chaplain attended the Yeshiva Day School in Flatbush; Brooklyn College, graduating in 1960, and Conservative Judaism’s Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City, where he received his master’s degree in 1963, and was ordain ed last June. He had applied for the chap laincy during his senior year at the seminary. He went on ac.ive duty last August. Passover Greetings Verl Giesler & Co. Manufacturer’s Representative P. O. Box 9726 Atlanta, Ga. GREETINGS FOR PASSOVER EAST POINT FORD CO. 2139 MAIN ST. EAST POINT, GA. PLan 3-2121 PASSOVER GREETINGS Sbai. SlreU 'Univeriitu op CoSmeloioyy TRlnity 5-3788 — TRinity 2-4622 831-833 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E. — Atlanta, Ga. PASSOVER GREETINGS Cunnard Exterminating Co. 254 E. PACES FERRY ROAD, N.E. ATLANTA 5, GA. Specializing in Home Service CALL CE. 3-2433 CjraciouA (jreetinc^A for P< aAAouer