Community Magazine August 2019

AV - ELUL 5779 AUGUST 2019 35 especially living in a country where one can do whatever one wants, where one is rarely restricted by rules, and where one is encouraged to have fun and to live for the moment. They are also up against an enemy that believes the opposite. Try to explain to a kid raised in a freedom-loving country that people are willing to die for something they believe in. They don’t get it.” Challenges for a Torah Observant Jew in theMilitary The demands of the job on Torah observant Jews are challenging in many ways. Fortunately, obtaining kosher food is not one of the challenges. In Qatar, Rabbi Berdugo had his own personal utensils and had access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish, as well as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) from La’Briute or Meal Mart. The most fundamental challenge is loneliness. While on Active Duty and deployed overseas, families are often left behind as it's not easy for wives and children to tag along. The loneliness is especially acute during Shabbats and yamim tovim. In that regard, 2009 was an extremely challenging year for Rabbi Berdugo, having been deployed to Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Iraq. This was especially true over Pesach, when he was solely responsible for providing Pesach sedarim for the Jewish men and women stationed there. How one chooses to handle these conditions makes all the difference. Even though living on base is not easy; nevertheless, the rabbi found it spiritually uplifting. “All religious matters revolved around me, and what I could do for the Jewish men and women living there – whether it was Friday night or Yom Kippur services and seudot , or holding a seder . When nothing exists there religiously, you are IT.” Because the soldiers worked on Shabbat, there were no services then. Subsequently, the father of five spent Shabbat day alone in his room, which he enjoyed. “I felt connected to Hashem more on deployments than I did in Lakewood, where my family lives. Over there – in Qatar and Kuwait – it was just Hashem and me. Then when you return to your community, you appreciate all the more those things you take for granted – minyanim , kosher food, restaurants. You have to be very strong spiritually to undertake that kind of life.” Appreciation for Our Military Despite these personal and professional challenges, Rabbi Berdugo values his job immensely. He believes that the average American, as well, appreciates the sacrifices of our men andwomen in uniform. “When strangers see me in uniform, they thank me for my service all the time. I was lunching in a kosher restaurant in San Antonio with three of my colleagues, all in uniform. The waitress told us that our meals were paid for. While in Starbucks, another stranger handed me a gift card and thanked me for my service. After 9/11, people appreciate our service even more because they realize that there are people out there who want to hurt us, and that the military is needed today more than ever to defend our freedoms.” RabbiBerdugoisa musmach of Lakewood’s Yeshiva Govoha, and has taught Torah classes at Yeshiva of Flatbush. Now he teaches basic Torah classes on Sunday mornings, where his impact on students is seen more clearly. He lectures on the existence of Gd, the purpose of life, and what Hashem expects of us. No subject is off-limits. "I don't force anyone to go to my class, but nobody has ever left the class. They tell me that my classes are entertaining. I'm blunt and don’t sugar coat ideas. Some of my students ask if there are mitzvot they can begin doing. I sow seeds. What happens afterward, I don't know. Sometimes I find out; sometimes, I don't." Rabbi Berdugo has successfully managed to reach out to both civilians and soldiers, helping them to understand Torah, and to cope with challenges faced in everyday life, and while serving in the military. It is no surprise that he is able to speak to all kinds of people, and to help them with their struggles. He comes from a line of fifteen generations of rabbis! May Hashem grant him the strength and continued ability to serve Him and the Jewish people. “I sow seeds. What happens afterward, I don't know. Sometimes I find out; sometimes, I don't." Greeting Israel President Bibi Netanyahu at Andrews Air Force Base. Reading the Megillah during Purim at the Pentagon.