The Federal Cabinet has approved plans for the introduction of military rabbis for the Bundeswehr. The ministerial committee decided that a contract on military pastoral care should be concluded with the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
For soldiers there is already a Protestant and Catholic pastoral care in Germany and in the ongoing foreign missions. This is likewise regulated in each case in a state contract with the churches.
Military rabbis should now ensure "pastoral care for Jewish soldiers, but also for all soldiers, regardless of denomination," it said in the draft resolution, the news agency dpa was present.
They should accompany education and training, write writings on ethical issues and influence the Bundeswehr as an institution. "In this way the understanding of Judaism and the Jewish community in the Federal Republic of Germany can be promoted," the paper goes on to say. The Bundestag must still agree to the project.
How many people would benefit from this is unclear: The Bundeswehr does not document the religious affiliation of its soldiers. However, estimates by the Ministry of Defense assume that there are about 300 Jews and about 94,000 Christians in the Bundeswehr. The number of Muslims is estimated at 3000. Talks about pastoral care for Muslims are ongoing, but are more difficult because of the different forms of organization of the Islamic faiths.
