On June 27, 34 congregants and friends of the Naftoli Aron Torah Enrichment Program (NATEP) of Shomrei Torah in Fair Lawn went on a guided tour of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The special event, the brainchild of NATEP founder Mendy Aron, was chaired by former shul president Michael Glass.
Shomrei Torah’s connection to West Point runs deep. Back in 1980, a Jewish Chaplains Fund committee was formed with the purpose of raising money for a Jewish chapel, as well as hiring a full-time chaplain. Until then, Shabbat services were held in a science lab, officiated by a civilian rabbi. One of the committee members was Rabbi David Lapp, a longtime Shomrei Torah member who logged a 25-year career as an army chaplain, serving both in the U.S. and overseas. Over a four-year period, the committee was able to privately raise $7 million in funds to build the chapel. The challenge they faced was securing a parcel of real estate on West Point grounds, which was government property.
Rabbi Lapp, as a senior Jewish chaplain, was one of 20 people who met with then President Jimmy Carter to request land approval. The meeting was cordial, and, as Rabbi Lapp noted, “President Carter signed off on the document that would deed property for the chapel, with the U.S. government taking control of it once the private funding was completed.” Rabbi Lapp was also involved in the recruitment search for the first full-time chaplain at West Point.
The June NATEP event required careful planning. Aside from the usual promotional effort to get the word out, which included mentions in both the Shomrei Torah bulletin and the Teaneck-Shuls list, there were other considerations. As a government facility, especially during today’s climate of heavy security, the United States Military Academy did not allow visitors to simply wander onto its facilities. As Glass explained, “The government required a security manifest three business days in advance. This included a list of all attendees, along with IDs in the form of either passports or driver’s licenses and dates of birth.”
Part of the coordination involved transportation. Glass and Aron decided that rather than securing the services of a bus, they’d organize a carpool instead. They needed and received seven or eight volunteer drivers to successfully pull it off. Once on West Point grounds, they opted for a Military Academy bus and guided tour. Glass noted that it was essential and added to everyone’s enjoyment, as the guide was a wealth of information. Her own children had attended the academy.
Tour highlights included a stop at the Jewish chapel and a walk-through of the new visitors’ center, as well as detailed lessons about the history and mission of the Academy. One of the chapel walls was covered with plaques honoring Jewish cadets who had graduated from West Point. An attendee located the plaque of Elliot Press, class of 2004, which was a source of pride. Press had grown up within the Shomrei Torah family. Another familiar site was the chapel’s siddurim. They were all of the Artscroll Ashekenaz variety, the same ones found at Shomrei Torah and many other shuls.
Every NATEP event, from baseball games to visits to places of interest, includes Torah learning and/or some demonstration of the Torah way of life. Aron considers it important, believing that the core purpose of the program shouldn’t change just because the venue is different. Usually it is tied to activities of the day. The West Point field trip was no different. While in the chapel, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin led the group in the familiar daily Tehillim recitals. Following the tour, as guests ate their lunch outside, the rabbi delivered a drasha that focused on halachic insights related to military strategy. He touched upon optional vs. obligatory wars, the concept of leaving an outlet for people to flee when besieging a city, surrounding it from three sides rather than all four, and a host of related issues.
The drasha, the tour and the history lesson of the Jewish chapel all received enthusiastic thumbs up from those who attended. The next event is a Yankee-Ranger baseball game on August 9. (Contact Aron at [email protected] for details.) The learning program, now in its 13th year, meets every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m., with both men and women welcome.
By Robert Isler
Robert Isler is a marketing researcher and a freelance writer who lives in Fair Lawn. He can be reached at [email protected].
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