Germany gets 1st military rabbi in over a century

The German military has gotten its first rabbi in over a century with the inauguration of Hungarian-born Zsolt Balla at a synagogue in Leipzig

BERLIN -- The German military got its first rabbi in over a century Monday, with the inauguration to the post of Hungarian-born Zsolt Balla at a synagogue in Leipzig. The German government in 2019 approved a proposal by the Central Council of Jews to restore religious counseling for Jews serving in the armed forces. “This was unthinkable for decades and still can't be taken for granted,” the head of the Central Council, Josef Schuster, said. “That's why we have all reason to be happy and grateful today.” During World War I, many Jews fought for Germany and dozens of rabbis are known to have performed pastoral work in the military. After Adolf Hitler’ came to power in 1933, the Nazis excluded Jews from all spheres of public life, later murdering millions in the Holocaust.