Israel tour for British military squad
A GROUP of 25 Jews serving in the British armed forces has visited Israel on a week-long tour to “link their service with their cultural and religious heritage”.
The delegation, about half of whom had never visited Israel before, was led by Rabbi Reuben Livingstone, the armed forces’ Senior Jewish Chaplain and Major Danny Sharpe, chairman of the Armed Forces Jewish Network.
The tour, last week, included a trip to the Golan Heights, Haifa, the West Bank, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where the group visited the Commonwealth War Graves site, the final resting place of more than 2,000 British First World War casualties.
Sub-Lieutenant Ashley Sweetland, a Royal Naval reservist and member of Mill Hill Synagogue, said the intention of the visit was to commemorate the “historical and present-day contribution” the British Jewish community has made over 120 consecutive years of military service.
Major Sharpe said: “The visit provided a great opportunity for our diverse community to see their service to Britain through the lens of their heritage and religious beliefs.
“Personnel in the group came from a wide range of professions and ranks across all three services, and collectively are a great representation of the opportunities a career in the UK military offers young British Jews.”
A memorial service was held at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery for Cary Zitcer, a member of the Territorial Army who died suddenly in 2016 aged 60.
The visit was made possible with a donation by the Pears Foundation,