m,: h 14, 2003 -
epid
Sailor
: Rabbi Sam Sobel
BOOK REVIEWS
# Samuel Sobel, Ed.D, D.D.
lbptain, Chaplain Corps,
l8.N., National
yet., was
ffJfilain of the Jewish War
ud-teas of the U.S.A. He was
f st rabbi appointed to the
IL,a
]. _gttlar Navy. During 30 years
f active duty he held numerous
.!0ral and administrative
!' in this country and over-
, including Distdct Chap-
of the Washington,D.C.
; ad of the Fifth Naval Districts,
I eaior Chaplain of the Military
J ea Transportation Service
;: Ltlaatie, and Executive Direc-
J0 r of the Armed Forces Chap-
s Board of the Department
! II)efense. His last active duty
ignment was The Chaplain
!!S. Marine Corps,
J
Ia 1967 he was selected to
i!et Passover :services in
aam with the late cantor
! 1 Metropolitan Opera tenor,
' rd Tucker. Among his
ilitary decorations are the
on of Merit with Gold Star,
aze Star Medal with combat
e'Navy Commendation Medal,
cilian awards include the
Serve Officers Association of
¢¢ U.S. Chaplain of the Year
it ' ard, the B'nai B'rith Alexan-
der, rb. Goode Award for Inter-
th Relations, and the Tidewa-
National Conference of
°l.lkristians and Jews Brother-
Ill'Citation. His compilation
'a,pe, 1 songs, "Sing and Be
Yrul, was published by the
#., Government Printing
)e e. He was also president
llth e, Eastern Virginia Theo-
"liioeal Society.
x, lie served as chaplain at the
teras Administration Med-
" Center, Hampton, VA, and
I on the adjunct faculties of
ltln, Dominion University,
rge Washington University,
k 1_ Tidewater Community Col-
,k!, Where he taught Judaism,
ry of religions, and
r
,,,i:'rew, respectively. He has
Served as adjunct Rabbi at
tlaber of congregations in
Tidewater area.
By Hal Sacks
Book Review Editor
Southeastern V'wginia Jewish News
Editors note:
What an amazing community
this is. Enter the School of Den-
tal Medicine at Tel Aviv Universi-
ty and you'll find three principal
cities at the top of the dedicatory
list- New York, Boston, and Tide-
water, a tribute to the work of,
Tidewater leadership behind chapel
at U.S. Naval Academy
Hal Sacks
States Navy, culminating in his ele-
vation to flag rank, despite endur-
ing six courts martial, his most
memorable humanitarian achieve-
ment in the abolition of flogging in
the Navy, and finally, the Levy
family's saving of Monticello and
subsequent gifting of it to the
American people, spell out, in a
nutshell the substance of this slim
15
the while fighting off anti-Semitic
challenges, Levy served until his
death in 1862, having spent 60
years at sea and over half-a-centu-
ry in the service of his country.
Much of the remainder of Intre-
pid Sailor, is devoted to Levy's
struggle to have his gift of Monti-
cello, along with his estate, accept-
ed by the federal government or the
beloved Sonny Lefcoe (of blessed
memory.)
In the case of the new Com-
modore Uriah P. Levy Center
and Jewish Chapel to be built at
the United States Naval Academy
we take great pride in the
tremendous work of our own
Jerry Miller, a young man who
has shown superb leadership in
the successful campaign for this
landmark center.
And perhaps most gratifying
will be the dedication of the Aron
HA'Kodesh to a naval officer,
rabbi, and inspirational leader,
Sam Sobel. It is a pleasure,
therefore to review his earlier
work, Intrepid Sailor.
Intrepid Sailor
Samuel Sobel
Cresset Publishers Philadelphia
1980
121p.p.
Priceless
With the creation of the Com-
modore Uriah E Levy Center and
Jewish Chapel at the Naval Acade-
my at Annapolis it is perhaps time
to review once again what remains
as the definitive short biography of
Commodore Levy, written by
another intrepid sailor, Captain
Sam Sobel, U.S.Navy (retired).
Uriah E Levy's apprenticeship
to the sea, his service in the United
Burke Margulies receives
Community Award
Families facing difficult
times due to a mentally retard-
ed member or a member with
chronic mental illness often
feel overwhelmed and alone.
But one local attorney has
made it his priority to assist in
these cases, and his peers have
now recognized him for those
efforts.
The Virginia Beach Bar
Association has presented
Burke Margulies, a partner in
the Virginia Beach-based fn'm
of Pender & Coward, with its
Community Services Award.
Margulies co-founded the
Virginia Beach Community
Trust, which provides special
needs trust services for fami-
lies with mentally retarded and
developmentally disabled
members. He also created and
still chairs a companion trust
called the Virginia Beach Trust
for the Psychiatrically Dis-
abled. Virginia Beach was the
fn-st city in the United States to
have such a trust. The cities of
Chesapeake and Norfolk soon
followed suit, and Margulies
was critical in establishing
both the Chesapeake Assis-
Burke Margulies
tance Trust and the Norfolk
Community Trust.
Margulies also serves on
the professional advisory
boards of the United Way of
South Hampton Roads Foun-
dation and the Tidewater
Down Syndrome Association.
He is a former member of the
Virginia Beach Community
Services Board.
In 1998, Margulies was
awarded a pro bono award
from the Norfolk and
Portsmouth Bar Association
for his assistance in establish-
ing and serving as counsel to
the Personal Affairs Manage-
ment program of the Jewish
Family Service of Tidewater.
volume. These events, occring as Commonwealth of Virginia. Not
they did during a period of such until 1915 did Congress finally
turmoil in our history, are sur- enact legislation making the trans-
rounded by such interesting cir- fer of Thomas Jefferson's home
cumstances as would whet the possible. A final and important
appetite of a scholar such as our chapter involves the creation of the
own Sam Sobel, who, among his Levy Chapel in Norfolk, one which
many services to our country, for involved the Tidewater Jewish
which he has been highly decorat- community and with which the
ed (Legion of Merit with Gold community has an ongoing and
Star, Bronze Star Medal with com- important relationship.
bat V, Navy Commendation It is not, therefore, surprising
Medal, and Purple Heart Medal) is that Jewish leaders in Tidewater
recognized as the spiritual architect have been at the forefront in raising
of the beautiful Commodore Levy funds for the new facility at the
Chapel on the Norfolk Naval Sta- Naval Academy, mote than just a
tion. chapel, but a study center to be
Sobel's research and lucid bio- used by all midshipmen, a fitting
graphical portrayal reveals the legacy to our Intrepid Sailor, and an
young Levy, shipping out as a time to take another
cabin boy, but stipulating that he be look at the life of service of our
permitted to return home to esteemed author, Captain Samuel
Philadelphia in time for his bar Sobel.
mitzvah, a not inconsiderable feat
at the dawn of the 19th century.
The youthful Lieutenant Levy, (Hal Sacks is a retired naval ship
when offered a captaincy and com- captain, auto dealer, and Jewish commu-
nal worker, who has reviewed books for
mand of a new 60 gun frigate by the So,,theastern rginia Jewish tCews
the emperor of Brazil, politely for 19 years. He holds degr#ees in Englit.h
declined, adding "Sir, I would and literature from Syracuse and Colum-
uther serve as a cabin boy in the bin Universities, and has been adjunct
American Navy than as captain in facul m English at George Washington
any other service in the world!" All Universi.)
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