The Highest and Purest Democracy

While my chaplaincy setting is in the hospital, chaplains serve in many different settings. Part of being an effective chaplain is being able to enter into another person’s belief system to provide care while retaining one’s own religious identity. This week I came across this fine article by Seth Paridon about a Marine Corp chaplain during World War II. The chaplain happened to be a Jewish Rabbi named Roland Gittelsohn. Rabbi Gittelsohn was in the Battle of Iwo Jima (this week marks the 75th Anniversary.) In an overwhelmingly Christian context, this chaplain penned words that touched not just the Marines in his unit, but the entire nation. I hope you will take a few minutes to read about this chaplain.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/highest-and-purest-democracy-rabbi-roland-gittelsohns-iwo-jima-eulogy-his-fallen