Five Years of Jewish Military Chaplaincy for Soldiers and Sailors

Fahnenjunker David O. is a Jewish soldier in the Bundeswehr. He combines military service and religion, relying on the support of Jewish military chaplaincy. Now, the military rabbinate celebrated its fifth anniversary with a reception at the W. Michael Blumenthal Academy of the Jewish Museum Berlin.

In Roth bei Nürnberg hat David O. im Juli 2025 seinen Dienst als Flieger in der 7. Kompanie des Ausbildungsbataillons der Luftwaffe begonnen. In diesen Tagen beginnt er als Offizieranwärter ein Studium der Betriebswirtschaftslehre an der Helmut-Schmidt-Universität in Hamburg.

Nach mehr als einem Jahr als Soldat der Bundeswehr sagt er: „Ich bin angekommen, meine Entscheidung war richtig. Die Bundeswehr bietet mir das, was ich mir vorgestellt habe: Vielseitigkeit, Kameradschaft, ein unheimlich spannendes und herausforderndes Arbeitsumfeld und ganz besonders, dass ich meinen Dienst mit der Ausübung meiner Religion vereinbaren kann.“

David O. ist orthodoxer Jude. Das bedeutet für ihn, dass er nach den jüdischen Religionsgesetzen lebt. Dazu gehört unter anderem, die jüdischen Feiertage einzuhalten und bestimmten Regeln und Ritualen zu folgen, zu festen Zeiten zu beten und auch während des Dienstes die Kippa, die jüdische Kopfbedeckung, zu tragen.

Bei der Einhaltung der religiösen Gebote unterstützen ihn die Militärseelsorger des Militärrabbinats, das in diesen Tagen sein fünfjähriges Bestehen feiert. Auf einem Empfang in der W. Michael Blumenthal Akademie des Jüdischen Museums in Berlin begingen Militärbundesrabbiner Zsolt Balla, die Militärrabbiner der Bundeswehr und zahlreiche Gäste das Jubiläum. Anlässlich von Rosch Haschana, des jüdischen Neujahrsfestes, das zwischen Anfang September und Mitte September gefeiert wird, hatte die Jüdische Militärseelsorge eingeladen. An dabei: Fahnenjunker David.

Militärseelsorge als ein Grund für den Dienst bei der Bundeswehr

As part of the five-year anniversary of the military rabbinate, David O. is one of the Jewish soldiers who are visiting the Blumenthal Academy. "The existence of the military rabbinate and the Jewish military chaplaincy were among the reasons why I chose to join the Bundeswehr. With this pastoral support, I feel perfectly cared for as a Jewish soldier in the ranks. The military rabbinate provides me with special support, as I know that I can turn to the team for all my problems."

There are currently seven military chaplains stationed in seven locations across Germany, providing pastoral care and life skills training. This includes providing assistance to all soldiers and soldiers on questions and serving as a point of contact.

For many Bundeswehr personnel, the Jewish military chaplaincy is the first contact with Jewish people: "My non-Jewish colleagues often ask me about Judaism, as I am very open about my religion. Because I follow the Jewish dietary rules and eat strictly kosher, this means that I am essentially taking care of myself. I also cannot use the mess hall or standard rations during exercises and field training. I am particularly grateful that the unit has provided me with kosher individual packs (EPA) for several months."

At the anniversary reception at the Jewish Museum, State Secretary Jan Stöß praised the work of the military rabbinate: "The Bundeswehr has taken new steps by establishing the Jewish military chaplaincy five years ago, and has thus sent a clear signal: We take the religious needs of our Jewish colleagues seriously and provide them with a reliable space for spirituality."

In 2019, the Central Council of Jewish Communities in Germany and the Federal Ministry of Defence jointly signed the Jewish Military Chaplaincy Agreement. In 2021, Zsolt Balla was appointed as the first military chaplain, taking office. The military chaplaincy served as a federal agency within the Ministry of Defence's business sector.

For the military chaplain, building bridges has been a priority since the early days of Jewish Military Chaplaincy, bridging the gap between the Jewish community in Germany and the Bundeswehr. "The bridge stands, and there is a lot of traffic on it," he said during the event marking the fifth anniversary. He recalled the war in Ukraine and the importance of military chaplaincy. In the midst of the war, Ukraine had rebuilt its military chaplaincy and employed approximately 400 military chaplains.

Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jewish Communities in Germany, reminded the audience of the history of the Bundeswehr and the Jewish community and called on them: "Be ambassadors, ambassadors of the military chaplaincy and ambassadors for the self-evident nature of Jewish life in Germany. Because if what we take for granted is attacked, it is up to us to protect and promote it."

Compatibility of service and religion: a challenge for Jewish soldiers

For Fahnenjunker David, the compatibility of service and religion is a daily task: Every morning, he gets up earlier to fulfill his religious obligations. He uses many breaks for prayer. When his fellow soldiers go to the military kitchen, he prepares his kosher food. Some ingredients he brings from his hometown of Berlin.

In Judaism, there are many holidays in the autumn that fall on normal weekdays. Fahnenjunker David takes time off for these days, as they are not holidays in Germany. "I have overcome some challenges, especially regarding kosher food, together with my military rabbi in Bavaria, Rabbi Abraham Radbil, for which I am very grateful. It is natural for me as a soldier to also make compromises within the unit. My goal is to successfully complete my studies and then be deployed in service to my country in a challenging position. I am already looking forward to my first overseas deployment," he says.

David O. also received good support from Lieutenant Alexander S., his supervisor during the officer training course in Roth. "I could turn to him with all my questions, and he always had an open ear."

Lieutenant Alexander S. is the inspection chief at the Air Force Officer School in Roth. "For me, it was a challenge at first, as I had a kosher Jewish soldier in my unit for the first time and didn't know what special considerations to take. Therefore, I researched the topic, read up on it, and prepared. The telephone conversation with military rabbi Abraham Radbil and the personal conversation with the soldier were decisive. For example, I learned that on Shabbat and on Friday afternoon, Fahnenjunker David should be in a community or at home before sunset, if possible. We have been able to implement this so far, although it has sometimes been a small challenge," says Lieutenant S. The cooperation with the comrade was pleasant, constructive, and mutually supportive.

"For me, it is very important not to stand out, but to be treated like any other soldier, because only then are we a unit that thrives on diversity and can fulfill the task of jointly ensuring national defense in times of crisis," emphasizes David O.