- Mitja and Rabbi Irving Elson
A small group today had lunch on base with Captain Irving Elson, a Navy Chaplain who is currently visiting troops throughout Asia. Chaplain Elson is one of eight rabbis in the Navy so it was a rare treat to meet with him.
I wore my fancy matzoh tie even if it is for Passover and not Rosh Hashanah, which begins tonight.
The lunch was jokingly billed as an opportunity to “stump the Rabbi” and about twenty people attended. One person wanted to know how caviar can be declared kosher when sturgeon are not, others wanted to know his perspective, as a conservative rabbi, of the concepts of heaven and hell. He said that while no one knows what comes after death, Jews believe that you create heaven or hell in this life and suggested that Bayonne, New Jersey is a good example of the latter.
It was refreshing that for someone with a distinguished career, including two tours in Iraq, I had to search online for more information about him (bio) and other Jewish chaplains. He politely headed off someone about to give his bio and instead made it clear he wanted to jump right in and spend the time answering questions around the table.
And while he was happy to take this photo he warned me that I am not allowed submit it as evidence to family in lieu of going to Temple.
