Rabbi Emanuel Rackman died at home in New York, and along with the Jewish people, the world of relgious leadership, the State of Israel, and the United States are all the poorer for his loss. He was a remarkable leader who championed the notion that a faith was there not only to serve the faithful, but to empower the faithful to serve the world.
This story teaches much about his spiritual depth and moral courage.

In accordance with family tradition, he planned to earn his living as a lawyer rather than as a rabbi, but on entering the Air Force in 1943, he was made a chaplain. While in Germany, where he was military aide to the European Theater commander’s special adviser on Jewish affairs, his encounters with Holocaust victims caused him to reconsider his career.
In 1951, he was called up for active duty from the Air Force Reserve, but found that his security clearance had been revoked because of his outspoken opposition to the death penalties handed down in the Rosenberg spying case and his support for the radical singer Paul Robeson.
Given the choice between accepting an honorable discharge or facing a military trial, he opted for a trial. He not only won acquittal but earned a promotion from major to lieutenant-colonel.

Rabbi Rackman was a hero. He stood for openess and inclusivness in a world too-oftern dominated by closed-mindedness and exclusivity. Was he always in the right? That is for others to decide. But his legacy of learning combined with compassion and love of humanity are a gift to us all.
May his memory be blessed.