Post Commander
Walter Gold
Sr. Vice Commander
Bob Levick
Jr. Vice Commander
Marcel Hodak
Adjutant
Charlene Cohen
Chaplain
Irv Moerman
Judge Advocate
Maurice Amdur
Officer of the Day
David Greenberg
Quartermaster
Gilbert Wagenheim
State Delegates
Sheldon Goldberg
Maurice Amdur
State Delegate Alternate
Albert Lerner
Past Commanders
Sheldon Goldberg
Milton Samuels
Albert Lerner
Jack Golomb
KEEP US UP TO DATE
It is essential that you keep us informed of any changes to Name, Address, Telephone Number or e-mail address. Without such correct information you cannot be assured of receiving Post information. Please send in any changes. |
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News from Post 692
REGULAR MEETING
Sunday, 7 February 2010, 10:30 A.M.
Ring House, 1801 E. Jefferson St. Rockville MD 20852
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COMMANDER’S CORNER
The recent loss of Past Commander Albert I. Lerner corresponds to sending the “heart” of JWV to Heaven. May he rest in peace, knowing that he has “done it all” for JWV, locally and nationally. “Al Lerner WAS Mr. JWV,” says nearly everyone who ever had the good fortune of meeting and listening to him. Al devoted his daily life to JWV and related causes, from 1954 until he passed away this past January 14th. His 55-years of service to JWV were varied and exemplary. He held every office in Post 692 AND in the Department of Maryland. Al earned more than a dozen JWV-related awards, including the Department of Maryland “Commander of the Year” Award in 1969; the “JWV’er Over the Years” Award; the “Veteran of the Year” Award; the “U.S. Congressional Accommodation” Award; a Maryland State and a DAV Citation; a “Maryland House of Representatives Award;” the “Four Chaplains Freedom Award,” and even the Catholic War Veterans Appreciation Award! . . In his “spare time,” Al Lerner had been involved with the National Museum of American Jewish Military History since its inception in Washington. Wherever Al went, he spread the good name of JWV. Starting in his post-Korea JWV days, he and other Post 692 members visited wounded veterans at the old Mt. Alto Veterans Hospital, the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, and Walter Reed and the Soldiers’ Home in Washington. |
 Perhaps two of his most noted accomplishments were his successful campaign to rid Washington, DC of the American Nazi Party, and his humanitarian work in assisting the Metropolitan Police Department during the terrifying days a group of misguided Muslims took over the B’nai B’rith Headquarters in Washington.Our former Post Adjutant, Morris Roche, once wrote: “Al Lerner has been teaching and preaching Jewish American par-ticipation in our country to synagogues, Hebrew schools and to senior citizens … everywhere he speaks, be it to Jewish or to non-Jewish groups, he speaks of the JWV … and he never said no to a request.” A memorial service for Al Lerner was held at Bedford Court in Silver Spring on January 24th. His ashes will be placed in the Columbarium in Arlington Cemetery. God bless you Al, you were an inspiration for all of us!
Walter Gold, Commander
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February Program |
W.A.S.P. Elaine Harmon, second from left |
| On July 1st 2009, President Obama signed Pub-lic Law 111-40, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a group of extraordinary women who were organized dur-ing World War II and flew 60 million non-combat mili-tary missions. Post 692 will be honored to have as its guest speaker at our 7 February meeting, Ms Elaine Harmon, one of the 300 WASPs of the more than one thousand that joined that are still living today. Let’s have a great turnout for one of America’s unsung World War II heroes. |
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A relatively good number of members turned out for our January meeting despite the biter cold. After closing a short business meeting, Commander Gold reopened the meeting as an “open” board meeting to discuss member issues and solicit suggestions from those attend-ing what Post 692 needs to do and where it should be heading. It was determined that to really be functional, the Post needed, at a minimum, the following committees: Membership & Retention; Programs; Good & Welfare; Publicity; and Veterans Affairs. Not mentioned, but already in the works is a Scouting Committee. What is now needed are members to donate a few hours each month to fill these committee positions. Membership will be headed by Jr. Vice-Commander Marcel Hodak, who will be joined by Ed Morgenstern and Jim Lyman. Israel Gotay will head the Scouting Committee but all the other committees need people, preferably, but not necessarily, with email and internet access. If you have the time and are interested in donating your time to help make this Post one of the best in the department, call Commander Gold and let him know. Other issues discussed were:
1) the desire to continue our visits to the “Wounded Warrior” program at Wal-ter Reed and Sr. Vice-Commander Bob Levick is taking names of volunteers for this very worthy cause. He was also asked to investigate whether Bethesda Naval Hospital is also accepting visitations.
2) to ask members to fill out a “military profile” sheet giving the Post a re-source for the “Know Your Comrades” column in the newsletter but also to coax our members to share with the Post their military experiences and help bind us closer as “Brothers in Arms.” |
Post Members Listen to Discussion
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3) the possibility of having a 15-minute Yiddish lesson at etch meeting to help pre-serve the Mamaloschen. Interestingly enough, budget cuts at the University of Maryland are forcing them to cut Yiddish language courses from the school’s curriculum.
4) the idea of having an evening meeting, possibly at a restaurant in the late spring, early summer time was also mentioned as a possibility.
5) the need to establish a “phone bank” - a telephone chain to contact members if meetings are cancelled or changed, to notify someone if a ride is needed to attend a meeting or other JWV function,
and lastly, for Good & Welfare, i.e., to notify the Post leadership in the event of a member’s illness or other issue of concern. It bears repeating that this is your Post and its survival and success depends upon your participation. So pass your thoughts and ideas on to Commander Gold or Sr. Vice-Commander Bob Levick but above all, come to the meetings and be a part of your Post. If you need a ride, let a Post officer know and it will be arranged if at all possible. |
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NEW BUSINESS
ELECTIONS are coming up and once again, Bernie Resnick has agreed to chair the Nomination Committee. Please read the Officer Qualification sheet included in this issue of the newsletter and nominate someone for one of the elected posts or run for that post yourself. Please mail your nomination(s) to Bernie as indicated on the form by 1 March.
The nominees will be announced at the March meeting, elections will be in May and the installation of new officers will take place in May. Post Members Listen to Discussion
The membership also voted to donate $96.00 to the National Museum of American Jewish Military History in return for certificates that can also be purchased by the membership for a nominal amount and can be used for special occasions and to recognize individual accomplishments.
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OLD BUSINESS
The members present voted to renew our subscription to the JNF Tree program. Trees for all occasions are available to purchase for members for $15.00, of which $5.00 goes to the Post. If you wish to plant a tree in Israel to honor or memorialize anyone, contact Past Commander Sheldon Goldberg (301) 572-6168.
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Recently we observed the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, so I thought this would be a great time to look back on Jews in space. No, not the Mel Brooks version. I’m talking about bona fide Jewish astronauts who have translated the ancient, nomadic ways of our people into a passion for exploration among the stars.
• Number one on the list: can be none other than Judy Resnick, who was the first Jewish astronaut to go into space. She served as mission specialist on the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery and also on the Challenger. She died tragically when the Challenger broke apart shortly after liftoff for its 10th mission.
Judy Resnick |
• Jeffrey Hoffman was the first Jewish man in space and the first person to ever bring a Torah into space. He did this during his 1996 mission on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Jeffrey Hoffman |
• Another Jewish astronaut, David Wolf, was in orbit during Hanukkah and though he couldn't light his menorah due to the hazards of fire in a oxygen-rich atmosphere, he did take advantage of zero gravity when spinning his dreidel. "I probably have the record dreidel spin," he later said, "it went for about an hour and a half until I lost it. It showed up a few weeks later in an air filter. I figure it went about 25,000 miles."
David Wolf |
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• Then of course there's Gregory Chamitoff, who About.com profiled back in 2008. He took mezuzot shaped like rockets on to the International Space Station and placed them on the door post near his bunk bed.
Gregory Chamitoff |
• Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut. He was the payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Colum-bia and died along with his crew mates when the Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Southern Texas . He was the first astronaut to request kosher food in space and also the first one to consult a rabbi about howto observe shabbat while in orbit. In addition to a Torah scroll and microfiche copy of the bible, he also carried with him a picture of Earth as seen from the moon that was drawn by a Jewish boy in a concentration camp during World War II.
Ilan Ramon |
• Last but not least on this list is Gary Reisman, who was the first Jewish astronaut to live on the International Space Station and brought a memento from IIan Ramon's widow with him. He left right before Passover and asked if he could bring matzah with him, but alas, mission control thought the crumbs would be uncontainable.
Gary Reisman |
So there you have it folks. Jews in space! This list is by no means comprehensive, but I do hope it has been interesting to read. (Ariela Pelaia, About.com Guide to Judaism). |
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Ensign Sneiderman
Beirut Harbor, 1963
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Know Your Comrades
Marshall Sneiderman |
In the spring of 1962, Marshall Sneiderman joined the US Navy Reserve as a Supply Corps Candidate. Following OCS in Newport, RI for officer’s training, he was commissioned an Ensign and sent to Supply Corps School, Athens, GA to complete six months of intensive training to become an independent supply officer afloat. As a Supply Officer afloat on independent duty, Marshall managed all the re-supply for the USS Robert A. Owens (DD827), a US Navy destroyer, and its complement of 350 officers and enlisted personnel. With his Department of 52 enlisted personnel, the Supply Department paid the crew, fed them, cut their growing locks, procured all the supplies, ordered all the fuel/ammunition, ran the laundry, supervised the wardroom and most importantly maintained the spare parts and reparable items to keep DD827 in fighting order.
Marshal’s first operational cruise was to the Mediterranean Sea exercising with the Sixth Fleet. The “Med Cruise” included an eight week patrol of the Indian Ocean; DD827 was the only Navy ship in the entire In-dian Ocean operating theater. Planning logistics for the entire patrol was a great exercise. For the eight weeks, Marshall only bought fresh fruit in a market in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and topped off the fuel supply in Aden before returning northward through the Suez Canal.
When Marshall’s time as a Reservist ended, he augmented to the Regular Navy where he remained on active duty for full career, retiring out of the Naval Post-graduate School as Professor of Acquisition Strategy with a rank of Commander in 1982. Beside DD827, Marshall served at sea on USS John Paul Jones DDG 32 in the waters of the Tonkin Gulf. His awards and decorations include two Navy Commendations and the Viet Nam Campaign Medal. He is now the Chief Business Advisor for Tech Systems, Inc., a military logistics contractor based in Springfield, VA. He is the former CEO of the firm that has 20 support contracts supporting the operations of the US military. |
Its official, DD-214's are NOW Online. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214's online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov/
STAMPS FOR SOLDIERS
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| Speaking of bring things to our wounded warriors and veterans, let’s not forget that the Post has a used postage stamp and aluminum tab program. The stamps are used to assist our wounded soldiers in their therapy and is part of a JWV National program, while the aluminum tabs go to the Ronald MacDonald House in Baltimore where they sold and the money used to allow parents of cancer-stricken children to come and stay with their child, much like the Fischer House system for military families. So bring your used postage stamps and aluminum can tabs to Jr. Vice-Commander Marcel Ho
dak. |
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DATES TO REMEMBER
7 Feb - Post 692 Meeting ast Ring House, 10:30 AM.
Guest speaker Ms Elaine Harmon,
Member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).
14 Feb - Valentine’s Day 15 Feb - President’s Day
28 Feb - Purim
7 Mar - Post 692 Meeting ast Ring House, 10:30 A.M.
Guest speaker Marshall Sneiderman on
Training and Prepping Troops for Afghanistan. |
DON’T FORGET…
…..to bring your cancelled stamps and aluminum soda can tabs to help support our Stamps for Soldiers and Ronald McDonald House programs. Both items should be given to Marcel Hodak at our monthly meeting.
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Veterans Administration News
As of December 2009, universities and colleges were still waiting for tuition payments for thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who attended school last fall under the new GI Bill, leaving the veterans panicked that they'll be unable to return to class in January. Veter-ans Affairs Department officials promise to get them back into the classroom. The VA says the number of veterans with claims unprocessed is now fewer than 5,000 — down from tens of thousands — and the goal is to have them all processed by the end of the year. Beyond the tuition, many of the veterans have had to wait for funds paid directly to them for housing and books. To help cushion the blow, the VA issued $3,000 emergency checks to more than 68,000 veterans, but for some the money's run out. (The Associated Press)
If you are already a My HealtheVet user and a VA patient, get an upgraded account! An upgraded account allows Veterans enrolled at a VA health care facility access to advanced features of My HealtheVet and links their Personal Health Record with information from their VA electronic health record.
To access advanced features, Veterans must complete a one–time process called In–Person Authentication or “IPA”. This includes making a visit to their VA facility to verify their identity in person.
After completing the IPA, VA patients can use My HealtheVet to:
• Refill VA prescriptions by name, not just by the prescription number
• Access a blended view of their VA and non-VA medications
• Receive VA Wellness Reminders
• Access new features as they become available.
Please copy the following names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses and keep them in a safe place for your use:
Contact information for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs
Paul M. Prozialeck, Director of the Veterans Service Program. E-mail: paul.prozialeck@va.gov
David Clark, Chief, Veterans Claims. E-mail: dave.clark@va.gov
Phone numbers are: (410) 230-4444; 1-800-446-4926 (toll free); fax: (410) 230-4445
When calling, the veteran should indicate that
he/she was referred by The Jewish War Veterans.
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| A rabbi was walking down the street when he noticed one of his congregants on the other side of the street entering a Chinese restaurant. The rabbi crossed the street to peer in the window of the restaurant to see what his congregant was doing in the trayf (non-kosher) restaurant. The congregant ordered some ribs and some fried shrimp. The rabbi continued to watch. Soon, the waiter brought ribs and shrimp. The congregant was eagerly devouring it with a hearty appetite when the shocked rabbi, unable to contain himself, burst into the restaurant to confront his congregant.
"Stop!" the rabbi shouted. "How could you do this? How could you eat this food? It's ribs and shrimp. It's trayf!"
"Hold on," said the congregant. "Rabbi, did you see me walk into this restaurant?"
"Yes, I did," replied the rabbi.
"Did you see me sit down at this table?"
"Yes, I did," the rabbi again testified.
"Did you see me order?"
"I most certainly did," the rabbi attested.
"Did you see the waiter bring this food to my table?" the congregant asked.
"Yes, I did," the rabbi again affirmed.
"Did you actually see me eating the ribs and the shrimp?" asked the congregant.
"Yes, I did. I watched you the entire time!" exclaimed the rabbi.
"Well, then," the congregant said calmly, "what's the problem? It was all done under rabbinical supervision.”
ISRAELI PERSONALS:
Jewish male, 34, very successful, smart, independent, self-made, looking for girl whose father will hire me.
POB 22. |
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JWV SERVICE CAPS
JWV service caps with embroidered JWV emblem and Post designation must be ordered by mail and cost $44.65. Order forms (already completed except for your hat size, name and address information are available from Sr. Vice-Commander Sheldon Goldberg. See him to place your order.
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| Sheldon Goldberg, Post Commander |
Sheldon Goldberg, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Ret.
Captain Sheldon A. Goldberg poses by his F-4D at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand before a combat mission against the Ho Chi Minh trail. Capt. Goldberg flew with the Air Force's only night dedicated fighter squadron, the 497th TFS "Nite Owls", and was the only Jewish aircrew member in the famed 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at the time of his combat tour. Capt. Goldberg flew 214 combat missions in Southeast Asia, including several into North Vietnam. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism and 17 Air Medals.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
George Washington
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Captain Sheldon A. Goldberg |
| More VA Information |
What is your priority group? Effective January 17th 2003 The VA no longer enrolls new veterans in this group. Group 8 involves all nonservice-connected veterans and zero percent noncompensible service-connected veterans who agree to pay copayments. For further information to determine your priority group look it up in your “Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependants” book available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW Washington D.C. 20420. or through this website at the above link. Phone 1 866 512 1800. The National office of JWV is working to have the directive withdrawn. Your Views on the directive will be helpful Mail them to Sr. VC, Bernie Resnick, 11410 Strand Drive, Apt. 402 Rockville, MD 20852.
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If you currently hold a ”Veterans Universal Access Identification” card that does not have your picture on it get a new one on your next visit to a VA medical center. On the back of the new Card encrypted on a magnetic tape will be the Veterans social security number, date of birth and a control number. Processing will take 5 to 7 days once eligibility is verified. Current cards are valid until you get your new card. One of the purposes of the new card is to help prevent identity theft. |
Registration - Identification |
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| Information File - Burial Benefits |
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Transportation
Members need help in getting to our monthly meetings simply because
many are unable to drive at night. What has happened to “Mitzvot”?
Plan to attend and bring a buddy or two. |
Maryland Veterans Cemeteries is the title of a brochure that is available from the Maryland Veterans Commission, Cemetery Program, Federal Building, Room 110, 31 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD. 21201. The brochure details the information needed to gain burial in one of the 5 Cemeteries in the state plus maps of their location. It’s never too late to plan ahead. |
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| Funeral Practices Committee |
A new contract from Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home for all members of Jewish War Veterans and their
immediate families is being shown in this issue of our newsletter. This funeral home is endorsed by the Rabbinical Council of Washington & is privately owned. Joyce Torchinsky is a delight to work with! You must identify yourself as a member of J.W.V., when you call, in order to receive these special prices.
For additional information, contact Dave Greenberg, Post 692 Funeral Practices Chairperson, 301-649-3627
or email at: davenu3p@erols.com.
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Post Members Contribute to ARMDI
To protect the drivers and patients in Israeli ambulances from terrorist gunfire members of our Post have been contributing funds for ARMDI who provides ambulance protective equipment. All contributions, including those in memory of or commemorating an important event, should be made payable to ARMDI and mailed to Bill Hennoch, 8804 Wooden Bridge Rd., Patomac MD. All contributors are recognized by the Post. To date, more than $3,000.00 has been contributed by individual Post members. |
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