The 13 Jewish military chaplains who died in the line of duty are one step closer to getting a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
The House of Representatives recently unanimously passed a bill clearing the way to erect a memorial to rabbis who lost their lives in service to their country.
This means chaplains like Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, a native New Yorker, will be honored. Goode was one of four chaplains who gave their life jackets and their lives to save other soldiers during the sinking of the USAT Dorchester during World War II.
The monument would stand about 7 feet tall and a bronze plaque mounted on a granite slab would list the names of the 13 chaplains.
The Star of David and a Jewish proverb — "I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders" — would be inscribed.
The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Weiner, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, was supported by local Reps. Nan Hayworth, R—Mount Kisco, and Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley.
Rabbi Larry Freedman at Newburgh's Reform Jewish congregation, Temple Beth Jacob, urged passage of the bill.
Freedman, who is also a chaplain at Stewart Air National Guard Base, recently went to Kuwait for Passover. "(It) was a spiritual uplift in the desert," he said.
The bill now goes onto the Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
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