‘Why should Jews who join the navy not have access to a rabbi?’

RABBI RAFI KAISERBLUETH, Australia’s first Jewish naval chaplain, tells STEVE MEACHAM about the long road to his new job, the importance of serving others, and seasickness.

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth - Australia’s first Jewish naval chaplain - has spent a blissful Sunday in February with his wife Rachel and three young children at the beach.

But at 4.30pm, he has to get into the car and drive the 200km journey from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay.

At the age of 43, he’s on a three-week intensive training course, learning the subtle differences between how our navy operates as opposed to the US Navy, where he served as a chaplain in the reserves for 13 years.

During those years, Kaiserblueth had many adventures. “Not many rabbis can say they have taken a helicopter to a synagogue,” he says. “I haven’t done that in Australia yet, but I did it several times in the US.”

Then there was the time he took the wheel of the legendary American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in 2006. “I can’t pretend that wasn’t fun.

“But I want to make it clear that it’s not usually part of a naval chaplain’s job. However, I was on the bridge and they asked if I’d like to take a turn on the helm. Yes, I did!”

There’s unlikely to be such escapades in the RAN. The US Navy has about 430 ships in its fleet, the RAN less than a tenth of that.

However, Kaiserblueth’s previous naval service has meant he’s at least been spared “basic training”, which might involve 2am wake-ups for an exercise class on deck. 

“Still, everyone needs to prove they know how to swim, plug a leak and fight a fire,” he says of the second, practical week’s training he completed earlier this month.