Air Force rabbi speaks at Memorial Day observance

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Mike Hyland
  • Space and Missile Center Public Affairs
CYPRESS, Calif. (AFPN) --  An Air Force rabbi spoke to more than 1,000 people at a Memorial Day observance here May 30.

Chaplain (Capt.) Sarah Schechter was the keynote speaker for the program that also included a presidential proclamation and individual observances for each of the United States' major conflicts since the Spanish-American War.

“In this great space with flags waiving in the wind, it is hard not to be moved to tears by the gravity of this day ... It is a privilege to stand before you in a United States military uniform,” said Chaplain Schechter who became the Air Force’s first female rabbi in 2003.

She talked about the military's priority concerning freedom of religion.

“I love being a chaplain,” she said. “It has been rewarding beyond imagination. I enjoy the opportunity to serve as a ‘visible reminder of the holy’ and the opportunity to protect our troops’ constitutional rights of freedom of religion ... Like Moses who led the Israelites to Mount Sinai to receive the Law, so too the work of our service men and women grants us religious freedom unparalleled in the history of the world.”

The chaplain spent most of her address focusing on the importance of honoring those who have sacrificed their lives defending the United States.

"This Memorial Day we unite to remember in awe and in gratitude all service men and women who lost their lives, and on this day, we remember their bereaving families ... The truth is, no other nation has done more to bring peace and freedom to the world than the United States … , and we should be proud of that fact."

Chaplain Schechter ended her address by singing the 23rd psalm in Hebrew.

Don Gras, Forest Lawn Memorial Parks vice president here, said the organization asked Chaplain Schechter to speak after hearing her Veteran's Day presentation the year before.

"She is an excellent speaker, and we were honored to have her at this year's program," Mr. Gras said. "She really touched on all of the current situations, and she tied in the religious aspect very well."

Chaplain Schechter is stationed at nearby Los Angeles Air Force Base.