Show R. R Rc r J. J r ND 1 T. T THE rH I rE l WORLD r v r Jl R U Army Rabbi at Odds Over Departure f Doug Stuck The Washington Post The US U.S. Army Anny has listed Rabbi Jeffrey Goldman as a deserter making him subject subject subject sub sub- to arrest if he returns to the United States But he maintains that he was driven driven driven dri dri- ven out of the military by anti- anti Semitic harassment from Christian col col- leagues Goldman 33 left Fort Stewart Ga in January 2002 to return to his native Canada after just one year as an Orthodox Jewish military chaplain He said that he believes he resigned legally from the Army Anny and that the desertion charge was a vindictive response to his allegations While he was posted at the Georgia base Goldman said he worked in a poisonous poisonous poisonous poi atmosphere created by three Christian chaplains One of the men taunted taunted taunted taunt taunt- ed him by displaying Nazi guard uniforms uniforms uni uni- forms he said His supervising chaplain told him Rabbi if you want to survive down here this is the South and you'd better forget you are a expletive Yankee rabbi from up north Goldman said It was a very very harsh environment I never had any problems with the officers or the soldiers only the other chaplains Goldman said in an interview Goldman said he appealed for help to the official endorser who sends Jewish chaplains to the military the Jewish Chaplains Council The head of the council council coun coun- council cil Rabbi David Lapp disputed Goldmans Goldman's account and denied giving Goldman permission to quit It never happened he said in a telephone interview interview interview inter inter- view from New York Lapp also said I haven't heard any- any w r IF ti t Ail d il r p 1 e s 1 0 J. J 3 s g ti r Jy L LS J 4 l i r Ir I sy rr 1 1 v vt r VA JL 5 Q 10 10 III a Q o ao c o m CI L mL CIc c III T m CD J to- to d The model of advocated by older chaplains which hinges on self-restraint self is increasingly under challenge by younger ones such as Lt Gordon James 37 of No Norfolk olk Va who says he has been punished because he refused to practice a sanitized government faith He had served in the Air Force but joined Joined the Navy three years ago as a chaplain thing about tension between Jewish and non-Jewish non chaplains Goldmans Goldman's complaints led to an Army Anny inspector generals general's investigation Officials at Fort Stewart declined to discuss the case or disclose the results Goldman said the inspector generals general's report was trying to make this look like I 1 was afraid to go on deployment and I 1 fled and used the anti- anti Semitic allegations to cover it up He said Protestant chaplains resented him in part because Jewish Muslim and Catholic chaplains are courted by the military military military mil mil- relieve in those faiths faiths- to a shortage a charge the Pentagon denies i 1 |