RABBI LETTER

SOMETHING NEW FOR THE NEW YEAR

Unbeknownst to most of you, I was a philatelist in my younger years.
It isn’t anything to be concerned about, though.  The word means “a stamp collector.”
Anyhow, one of the stamps I had was a 1948 three cent stamp with
the picture of a sinking battleship, four men and the words “these immortal
chaplains.”

Had the internet existed in the 1960’s, I’m sure that I would have looked up
the reference, but it was too much of a bother in my World ook Encyclopedia.

I really didn’t know what it was all about until moving to Rockland County.  
For the past several years, I have seen reports in the newspaper, always after
the fact, about “The Four Chaplains Ceremony.”  Last year, I did some detective
work so that I could tell you and others about this year’s commemoration of
this heroic effort.

The Four Chaplains were four U.S. Army chaplains who gave up their lives on
February 3, 1943 to save civilian and military personnel aboard the US Army
Transport Dorchester, which was carrying over 900 men when it was torpedoed by
a German submarine.  The chaplains helped soldiers board lifeboats and gave up
their own life jackets when the supply ran out.  They then joined arms, said
prayers in their respective languages of worship and sang hymns as the ship
sank into the 34 degree water.

The four included a rabbi, a Methodist minister, a Catholic priest and a
minister of the Reformed Church in America.  Their act of heroism inspired
Congress to establish February 3 as “Four Chaplains Day”

The Rockland County American Legion will continue a 61 year-old tradition of
commemorating this sacrifice on Sunday, February 5 at 10 am at the United
Church of Spring Valley, 11 East Church Street. It is a special interfaith
service prepared for this event (not a regular Sunday morning church service).  
I would love to see the Jewish community represented and hope that you will be
able to join me for this ceremony remembering these four great individuals and
the supreme sacrifice which they made.

                        Shalom,
                        Rabbi Daniel Pernick