TSKHINVALI, South Ossetia – On October 28, Russian military bases in South Ossetia received a special visitor: Rabbi Aaron Gurevich, the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia’s Department for Cooperating with the Military, Ministry of Emergency Affairs and Law Enforcement Agencies. The visit began with a meeting with the troops’ commanders.
"In Russia, work is being done to build up military clergy, the first phase of which is preparing religious leaders as part of constant alert and rapid response units, as well as troops that are serving outside of Russia,” stated Rabbi Gurevich. “The Russian base in Tskhinvali is the first place that will be staffed with religious leaders. The very presence of a chaplain in a military collective and the ongoing possibility of soldiers to meet and talk with him is very positive. In addition to purely religious activities, military chaplains will also counsel soldiers and will feel a closer connection to home."
At the meeting Rabbi Gurevich focused on the role of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia in creating the institution of clergy in the military. Since Judaism is one of the four main religions in Russia, the FJC Russia is represented on the Civil Council under the Ministry of Defense of Russia. "Chaplains from all religions share common goals: to take care of the needs of the soldiers and to help commanders improve the moral, psychological and spiritual climate within the military," Rabbi Gurevich commented.
After meeting with the commanders, Rabbi Gurevich had a short tour of the base and spoke to Jewish soldiers and officers serving there. He noted that, as an outcome of the visit, the base’s leadership has already identified several areas where the FJC Russia can assist the troops serving in South Ossetia. He expressed his certainty that this communication and interaction will certainly develop further.
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