Original Article Published On The Chabad.org

Collaboration between the Navy, Aleph Institute and the Orthodox Union

When Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel DiLiscia sets out this month for two years on the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the nuclear engineer and electrician is hopeful that his kosher-food experience will be better than it was during his first five years in the military. DiLiscia has endured long periods both on land and at sea, where he described himself as a “starving serviceman.”

When he deployed on the USS Roosevelt just before Chanukah, 2020, kosher MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat—shelf-stable, self-contained food rations) did not arrive on the ship.

“From Chanukah until Pesach, I ate salad with beans and tuna from cans. Your mouth goes numb. I started to look for kosher hot sauce to put on it. I worked 20 hours a day, was malnourished and lost 35 pounds.”

As Passover approached, and DiLiscia and his shipmates were in the South China Sea, he was gearing up for a holiday without matzah and other kosher provisions. “The kosher kits were stuck in Australia,” he laments. “Three hours before Pesach, a Pesach miracle occurred—boxes and boxes of matzah and other food arrived!”

Thanks to a recent collaboration between the Navy, Chabad, the Aleph Institute and the Orthodox Union, eating nutritious kosher meals daily will be much easier for Jewish sailors on many of the 280 Navy vessels, which include aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers.

During the visits, and in months of interviews, Jewish sailors talked about the challenges and triumphs of keeping kosher.

New Agreements Cut Through Red Tape

While kosher food has technically been available for Jewish sailors for many years, sailors on board various naval vessels began sharing some of their frustrations and difficulties keeping kosher with Rabbi Elie Estrin, military personnel liaison for the Aleph Institute and editor of The Jewish-American Warrior.

“There was kosher food on ships before,” said Estrin. “The issue was how to provide each type of ship with a unique and workable system.” He points out that different types of ships have different systems, storage capacities and methods for restocking at sea, and that keeping kosher aboard a naval vessel involves complex logistics, including carefully scripted food menus, limited storage space and resupply opportunities, and strict fire-safety and food-handling measures necessary on the Navy’s ships. “We set out to bridge the gap and show the Navy that they have kosher food on board and that it is not difficult to solve.”

Standardizing New Systems With the Orthodox Union

After compiling feedback from kosher-observant sailors, Estrin patiently and systematically began to address the issues with the Navy in 2019. The process started with brainstorming sessions and phone conferences with the Navy’s senior Jewish chaplain, Cmdr. Aaron Kleinman, and a third individual, a Jewish Navy Supply Corps officer. They met with senior logistics officers who began studying the various problems and possibilities.

While these conversations did not resolve every issue, a significant breakthrough occurred when Rabbi Eli Eleff got involved. Eleff, rabbinic coordinator and community relations for OU Kosher—the world’s largest kosher supervisory agency—began consulting with Aleph on questions regarding military chaplaincy. Estrin quickly realized that Eleff had both the food systems knowledge and the organizational impact of the OU to move the process forward. A team got to work.

Eleff worked closely with Kleinman, who was now stationed at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia, and other senior Navy officials at Atlantic Fleet Force Command. Kleinman obtained permission for Eleff and senior OU kashrut supervisor Rabbi Daniel Sharratt to tour three ships docked at Norfolk Naval Base, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the amphibious assault vessel USS Bataan and the destroyer USS Cole. Chaplain Capt. Brian Stamm, Atlantic Fleet Force Command Chaplain, led the tour, accompanied by both Kleinman and Estrin.

“The professionalism of Rabbi Eleff and Rabbi Sharratt was incredible to observe,” says Estrin. “They clearly impressed the sailors, supply personnel and leadership of the ships with their understanding of food systems, clarity and sensitive investigative work, asking incisive questions and assessing the actual kosher possibilities from numerous angles.”

The work of the rabbis helped the Navy see that they were already on the road to providing a kosher experience to their sailors. The team found that 80% of dry foods and the fruits and vegetables used were already certified kosher or were inherently kosher.

In addition, it became clear to the senior Navy staff that complications arise when foods are prepared in kitchens that cannot be made kosher. The rabbis helped the Navy see that there were usually simple ways to allow sailors to enjoy three nutritious kosher meals each day aboard most Naval vessels—as long as there is good communication and clear explanations about the basics of kashrut.

The group toured three ships docked at Norfolk Naval Base, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the amphibious assault vessel USS Bataan and the destroyer USS Cole.

A Comprehensive Report

Eleff and Sharratt next prepared a comprehensive report, which will be distributed to Naval supply officers, chaplains and Jewish sailors. It provides guidelines for requisitioning kosher supplies and how to use kosher meals on different classes of vessels.

Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, CEO of the Aleph Institute, says he is pleased with his organization’s role in helping meet Jewish service members’ needs. “Aleph is at the forefront of ensuring Jews who serve in the U.S. military are fully supported, materially and spiritually. This is a great win for Jews in the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, and it’s a great win for our country.”

DiLiscia is hopeful that his upcoming deployment will provide him with delicious and nutritious weekday, Sabbath and holiday foods. He will be at sea for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, where he will be leading the High Holiday prayers in addition to his electrician duties.

While DiLiscia is proud of his continuation of a family tradition of military service that goes back several generations, he says he relishes his time on land where he can daven and learn in person with Chabad. He says he takes his experiences with Chabad back on board, where he can influence other Jewish sailors.

“I hope my fellow sailors will have an easier time with it,” says DiLiscia. “A system to make kosher food available on board will transform not only our relationship with G‑d but also our professional relationships.”

“Everything they’ve done is appreciated not just in the abstract, but has improved my military experience practically,” he continues. “I am grateful that the U.S. Navy understands the desire of Jewish sailors to keep kosher and is willing to work to accommodate this basic element of Judaism.”

Original Article Published On The Chabad.org

Player shares what he discovered at Chabad of Coronado

When Adam Fishman heard that the 2023 World Men’s Lacrosse Championship was coming to San Diego, he saw an opportunity to bring together three of his great loves: lacrosse, Israel and Chabad.

The former Ivy League lacrosse player, member of Israel’s National Lacrosse Team and an active member of Chabad-Lubavitch of Coronado worked tirelessly to bring 180 people to Chabad for a rousing Friday-night prayer service and a beautiful Shabbat dinner that included the entire team, coaches, relatives and community members.

Fishman’s desire to share Friday night at Chabad with the team comes from his own positive experiences there. Although he attended a Jewish day school as a child, “I had never gone to Friday-night services as a kid,” he told Chabad.org. “Here, this magical thing happens.”

Fishman detailed Chabad’s role in bringing Kabbalat Shabbat (“welcoming the Shabbat”) into his life, and the life of his wife, Allie and young child, Aiden—and his desire to share it with his fellow Jewish athletes. “The rabbi used to host dinner in his home every Friday night. The crowd got so big that they began hosting dinners at the shul. For me, Shabbat dinner was my re-entry point. It got me reconnected, and I wanted to share it with the team.”

Fishman overcame logistical challenges in planning the evening. “I knew the team had 60 guys and staff. I also knew our shul’s size. But I knew that with the rabbi’s help, we would make this happen,” he said.

Rabbi Eliezer and Zeldi Fradkin, co-directors of Chabad of Coronado, a California resort city on a peninsula in San Diego Bay, say they admire Fishman’s dedication and refer to him as the shadchan (“matchmaker”)—the driving force bringing Team Israel to Chabad during the quadrennial event featuring the top men’s field lacrosse teams.

“When he heard the team was coming to San Diego, he was very focused on bringing them here,” reported the rabbi. “Adam felt strongly that part of coming here needed to be coming to Chabad of Coronado for Shabbat. He did not want them to miss out on Lecha Dodi or the rest of the davening experience. No one questioned it.”

Outdoor Shabbat dinner for 180 at Coronado’s histroic Abadi Residence@The Baby Del

Photo courtesy Chabad of Coronado

A Heartfelt Speech to the Team

Fradkin, who served as mesader kedushin (“officiating rabbi”) at the Fishmans’ wedding and has enjoyed watching them welcome their first child, recounts Fishman’s heartfelt address to the players at dinner. He pointed out that playing lacrosse for Israel was “one of those pivotal moments when you get to represent Israel,” and implored his fellow lacrosse players to deepen their connection to Israel and Judaism as soon as possible.

“Don’t wait as long as I did for a connection,” Fishman said. He shared that, despite attending a Jewish day school, he never understood the reasons behind many Jewish rituals but began getting answers through classes offered by Chabad.

Fishman attended the Phoenix Hebrew Academy, an Orthodox Jewish day school in north central Phoenix, Ariz., and first discovered lacrosse at the JCC in Scottsdale. He played lacrosse in high school and at Dartmouth, where he led the Ivy League in shooting percentage before graduating in 2015. Fishman went to Israel in 2017 to try out for Israel’s national lacrosse team. While he didn’t make the squad in 2018, his persistence paid off and he made the 2019 World Championship box (indoor) lacrosse team.

The Phoenix native came to Coronado with his wife during the coronavirus pandemic. It was a homecoming of sorts. Fishman spent summers of his youth in Coronado, where both sets of grandparents had vacation homes. Coronado is located on a peninsula near San Diego, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the San Diego Bay. It hosts such U.S. Naval institutions as the Naval Amphibious Base, Naval Air Station North Island and Navy Lodge North Island.

Fishman, now 30, has worked for a strategy-consulting firm and various entrepreneurial ventures. He is now in the field of gratitude-based leadership development and is an active member of Chabad or Coronado.

The Israel National Lacrosse team, coaches, relatives and community members spent Friday night at Chabad

Photo courtesy Israel National Lacrosse

Playing and Praying Together

Solomon Krevsky of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania came to San Diego with his wife, Katy, to watch their son, Max—who plays lacrosse at Yale University and is part of Team Israel—play lacrosse. Krevsky enjoyed watching the players come together at Chabad much as they had done on the playing field all week. “Seeing everyone cheering together for the boys for a week, then davening together in unity was meaningful.”

“Seeing these guys talking about the intricate details of lacrosse, and then all of a sudden walk into the Chabad House and sing “Shalom Aleichem” at the Shabbat table with their arms around each other with so much ruach and passion … This is what it is all about, says Solomon Krevsky”

While he is used to spending time with lacrosse players at Yale, Max Krevsky notes that the Team Israel experience was unique: “I got to interact with 22 other Jewish guys who were similar but different. They were interesting and awesome!”

He said he enjoyed getting to know two of his Israeli teammates, Ori and Ronen, and eating Shabbat dinner “right on the beach.” The Jewishly connected Krevsky has studied Yiddish for three semesters at Yale (“It was my grandfather’s first language”), and he and a fellow lacrosse teammate attend Chabad activities and services, where “there is always great food and energy.”

Dan Kraft, father of team member Joey Kraft and board chair of Israel Lacrosse, described the dinner as “a beautiful evening.” He appreciated that it was the first opportunity for extended family members to get together, meet and bond. Kraft passionately shared the three pillars of Israel Lacrosse: growing the game in Israel, connecting Diaspora Jews to Israel in unique ways, and competing on the international stage. He noted that this was not Team Israel’s first experience with Chabad. While they were competing in Ireland, Chabad of Dublin helped Team Israel secure kosher food at a tournament in Limerick, an Irish city 124 miles southwest of Dublin with no Jewish infrastructure.

Players, coaches and members of the Chabad community were pleased with Team Israel’s success at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship. They won their first four games against Sweden, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the Czech Republic. Team Israel held on for a 6-5 win against Ireland in the first round of the playoffs; its first loss came at the hands of the United States team. Israel came in an impressive seventh out of 30 teams.

There were other victories along the way: The team’s requests and prayers were answered as no games were scheduled for Shabbat, and their Friday-afternoon game ended with plenty of time to get to the Chabad House for Shabbat dinner. The rabbi and members of the Chabad community cheered on the team at several lacrosse games. One parent even noted, perhaps playfully and perhaps seriously, “If we continue winning, it can be attributed to the big ruach [“spirit”] of Friday night!”