Jewish Padres Installed Into Military Ministry

A full military service was held at Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London to install the first Jewish commissioned Padres into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department as Chaplains.

Army chaplains (Padres) are expected to minister to and provide pastoral care to any soldier who needs it, no matter their denomination or faith, or lack of it.

Colonel Martin Newman, Chair of the Jewish Committee for HM Forces said:

"The Christian chaplains always have an installation service when they’re appointed and we felt that this was probably time for us to do the same, particularly as it’s exactly 126 years since the first Jewish chaplain was commissioned."

The event coincided with the 350th anniversary of Jewish military service to the Crown and 126 years of Jewish Chaplaincy in the British Armed Forces.

At the outset of WWI, the Reverend Michael Adler was the only Jewish chaplain, he convinced the Army that more Jewish chaplains were needed and that he should be allowed into the operational theatre of war, something that had been resisted until then.

Several served operationally throughout the war and many more joined or re-joined to serve during WWII and beyond.