The military is not new territory for Zsolt Balla. Because he was born in Hungary in 1979 as the son of an officer. Balla grew up atheistically. It was only before studying engineering that he discovered his Jewish roots. Balla then enrolled at the orthodox rabbinical seminary in Berlin. He has been a community rabbi in Leipzig for twelve years – now he is in charge of the Jewish military chaplaincy:
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Of course it is a big challenge, but I will remain the community rabbi in Leipzig and the state rabbi in Saxony.
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He also has other voluntary activities that he does not want to give up. Balla will remain chairman of the Orthodox Rabbinical Conference.
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Zsolt Balla as a rabbi in Leipzig
Zsolt Balla has been a rabbi in Leipzig since 2009 and is therefore responsible for a community with around 1,000 members, and has also been a Saxon state rabbi since 2019. Balla was born in Hungary in 1979. He was one of the first two Orthodox rabbis who were able to study in Germany again and was ordained here in 2009. He is orthodox, but at the same time sees himself as worldly oriented.
In Saxony, around 2,600 people belong to the Jewish communities in Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig.
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Born in Hungary as the son of an officer
Balla’s father served as a lieutenant colonel in the Hungarian People’s Army, as the commander of a troop unit: “The times were of course different. But I am grateful that my parents gave me values for life.” The 42-year-old says he learned a lot about freedom and human dignity from his father, who has since passed away.
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How many Jewish soldiers are currently serving in the Bundeswehr is not known, says the future federal military rabbi. From his work with young Jews, he knows that military service in Germany is not necessarily desirable for them.
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We still have these historical reflexes that it is strange for a Jewish person to serve in the German Bundeswehr. But we can see that the world has changed. Our goal is that it is normal for a Jewish soldier to serve in the Bundeswehr.
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Central Council: Jewish pastoral care and life studies are part of a plural society
For the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, with the appointment of Zsolt Balla as the first military rabbi, a normal state was finally restored. A Jewish military chaplaincy already existed in the First World War, says Schuster. He emphasizes that a modern army in a pluralist society must offer soldiers various pastoral and ethical offers. It is not just about giving pastoral care to Jewish soldiers:
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It is also about having Jewish military chaplains in the Bundeswehr who can report authentically about Judaism and Jewish life in so-called life-science lessons, and who of course also keep an eye on their own believers.
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For the first time in 100 years
Looking at German history and the crimes of the Wehrmacht, “hardly a Jew could imagine serving in a German army”, as the President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, once put it.
There are now an estimated 300 Jews among the 180,000 members of the Bundeswehr. Religious affiliation is not officially recorded.
The military chaplaincy is aimed at the faithful, at the same time the new military rabbis should also provide information about Judaism beyond denomination.
For the first time since the First World War, in which around 100,000 Jews fought on the side of the German Empire, there should now be Jewish pastoral care again, under the auspices of a democratic and plural society.
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Balla: Getting into conversation across confessional boundaries
He’s looking forward to talking to soldiers, says Zsolt Balla.
He is not only there for Jewish members of the armed forces, but also for Christians, Muslims and atheists.
This is how prejudices could be reduced, as he hopes:
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The best way to fight anti-Semitism is to be present and show that we Jewish citizens are also there to protect the country, democratic values and human rights. If we actively show this, it could have a big impact.
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It is clear to him that there are also soldiers with right-wing extremist sentiments in the Bundeswehr, says Balla with a view to corresponding incidents at the KSK Special Forces Command. It is no secret that there is generally a greater affinity for the armed forces in the right-wing extremist scene. In the liberal and left-wing part of society, however, there is less willingness to serve. Something has to change about that.
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“We have to do the best”
A lot of work awaits the new military rabbi. Zsolt Balla also draws the strength for his service from the Jewish tradition. “The Jewish sages say, ‘You are not responsible for completing the work. But you are not exempt from the work.’ That means we have to do the best we can to change certain things. ”
Federal military rabbi Zsolt Balla will officially take office on June 21 in Leipzig in the synagogue in which he has been praying daily with his congregation up to now.
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Keyword: Federal military rabbis
For the first time in over 100 years there will be Jewish military chaplaincy in Germany.
The Central Council of Jews and the Federal Ministry of Defense concluded a corresponding contract at the end of 2019. Analogous to the Christian military bishop’s offices, a military rabbinate will be created in Berlin. Branch offices are to be set up in Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt / Main and Berlin.
Up to ten military rabbis will work under the spiritual guidance of Zsolt Balla. They should represent the different Jewish faiths and support both Jewish and non-Jewish uniforms in ethical questions.
In addition to pastoral care, they also give so-called life science lessons to familiarize soldiers with Judaism. Temporary support on assignments abroad is also one of the possible tasks.
The clergy are appointed as civil servants for an initial period of six years.
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