TORONTO — Even though Rabbi Lazer Danzinger had carved a successful 20-year career for himself in the field of information technology, it wasn’t until he became a chaplain that he felt he was pursuing his passion.

With his left hand resting on a Tanach, Rabbi Lazer Danzinger, right, was sworn in as a chaplain for the Canadian Forces by Lt. Col. Andrew Zalvin, the commanding officer of the 32 Canadian Brigade. [Sheri Shefa photo]

During an April 17 ceremony at the Denison Armoury in North York, Rabbi Danzinger, 52, was officially sworn in as a captain with the 25th Service Battalion of the 32 Canadian Brigade.

The rabbi is the first Jewish chaplain in the Canadian Forces born of Holocaust survivors and the first rabbi in the brigade since World War II.

Rabbi Danzinger, who is a rabbinical consultant for Chabad.org and a Jewish chaplain for both York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill and the Correctional Service of Canada in the Kingston, Ont., area, said that he decided to look into chaplaincy with the Canadian Forces about four years ago.

When a now-retired Jewish general, Ed Fitch, heard that Rabbi Danziger was considering joining the forces, he put him in touch with Maj. Gillian Federico, a chaplain with the 32 Canadian Brigade.

Federico recalled meeting Rabbi Danzinger a few years ago.

“I went to talk to him about what was involved, and he was just checking out information at that point. Because I’m very strongly committed to interfaith ministry, I was really delighted to hear from him,” Federico said.

“She came to my house and spoke to me and encouraged me, but for some reason, I felt that the time wasn’t right,” Rabbi Danzinger said, adding that he first wanted to gain experience and confidence by working as a chaplain elsewhere first.

In 2005, after 20 years in the computer industry, Rabbi Danzinger got a contract with Jewish Family & Child Services (JF&CS) to be the Jewish chaplain at York Central Hospital, and a few months later, he also began offering his services to Jewish inmates in Kingston area prisons.

With 21/2 years of chaplaincy experience under his belt – and after having been evaluated at the recruiting centre with an aptitude test, a medical test, an interview and a physical fitness test – Sgt. Matt Charlesworth, a recruiter for the 32 Canadian brigade, said that Rabbi Danzinger would be a great addition to the forces.

Charlesworth said that when a soldier is deployed overseas, he or she meets with a social worker or a padre – another term for a chaplain – to talk about any problems at home that may arise from their absence.

Some soldiers also choose to meet with padres or social workers upon their return.

“Soldiers do come back with scars, some deeper than others. So we do what we can to help,” Charlesworth said.

“Rabbi Danzinger worked with hospitals, worked in the prison systems. He works with people who are distressed, day in and day out. Regardless of whether he deals with a single person who is of the Jewish faith for his entire career, if he saves one soldier’s life, we win.”

Federico said she’s certain that Rabbi Danzinger will be a “tremendous asset to the team.”

“I think he has a very positive outlook, he’s very outgoing and friendly, and in conversation with him, I realized that he is very inclusive in his approach to caring for people, and that is essential for a military chaplain,” she said.

“He’ll be caring for soldiers of all religious denominations. The motto of the Canadian Forces Chaplaincy is that we worship with our own, we facilitate the worship of others and we serve all.”

Rabbi Danzinger – who grew up in a Reform household (where he was known  as Larry) and studied at Associated Hebrew Day School, the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto and Ner Israel Yeshiva – said that offering spiritual guidance to Jews and non-Jews alike is part of his philosophy and theology.

“As a chaplain in the Canadian Forces, even though I’m a Jewish chaplain, and I will administer to my own, provide Jewish services to whatever number of Jewish soldiers are there,  spiritual care will be given to any and all soldiers.”

The rabbi is excited to start his first two-week session of the four-week training course on May 5 at the Canadian Forces Base Borden, just outside Barrie, one of the main training bases for the Canadian Forces.

He will complete the other two-week session next May.

“They teach you survival skills and basic military skills, taking us out into the wilderness and teach us compass reading, map reading, how to read army-type maps and those types of elementary skills,” he said, adding that he won’t receive weapons training, because chaplains don’t carry firearms.

Another rabbi based in Ottawa, Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn, who last year became the first rabbi in the Canadian Forces since World War II, will join Rabbi Danzinger in the training course in Borden.

Rabbi Danziger said he’ll have the opportunity to travel abroad as a chaplain, but he won’t be forced to serve outside Canada.

“During the interview process, I was asked if I’d be willing to go to Afghanistan. I said, ‘Sure, I just have to convince my wife,’” he said with a laugh. Personally, this is an exciting milestone in my life. I find it very rewarding work helping people. I’m engaged now, really, in a wide spectrum. Usually people specialize in a particular area, but now, I have my foot in hospital care, in prisons and in the Canadian Forces, so I’m really excited about broadening my experience,” the rabbi said. “I take pride in the fact that I am Toronto-born and raised. I hope the Jewish community feels like their boy is in the army… It is something I hope the Jewish community will take pride in as well.”