Rosh Hashanah in Afghanistan

While I suspect that Jewish holidays have been celebrated in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places our troops are stationed in the Mideast as our Jewish service people and chaplains practice their faith, this is the first time that this old, retired infantryman has realized it. I should be more aware; my mother was Jewish—that makes me Jewish—and I’m proud of my Jewish roots and have learned a lot from studying Jewish history.br /br /So I took notice when I read about a bunch of marines including Col. Kevin Vest, Lt. Col Scott Stimpson, and Sgt Dan Wavle gathering this past week to celebrate the Jewish New Year of 5770. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of a process of introspection and self repair—something we all can use. br /br /I wonder if we Americans appreciate just how much freedom we enjoy—freedom, like freedom of religion, that a great many in the world don’t celebrate.