Rabbi Alan Greenspan

Biography

Rabbi Alan Marshal Greenspan grew up in Bridgeport Connecticut, received Semicha at Yeshiva University and served in the army as a Chaplain for 20 years. His adventures included living on army bases in the US as well as a tour of duty in Korea and Vietnam. He made aliya and lived in Israel with his wife Gala until his passing. Rabbi Greenspan lived his dream, serving the Jewish community and then living in Israel surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A prologue from Rabbi Greenspan's book: "With a Siddur and a Salami or S.O.S.- Send Over Salamis
This story really began when I was a young boy of ten, growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A dynamic religious-school teacher, by the name of Mordecai Wucher of blessed memory, inspired me to love the Jewish religion. At that tender age, I decided that I wanted to become a rabbi. My parents were not then terribly involved with religious observances. Nevertheless, they accepted my wishes and agreed to send me to a Yeshiva, a school of higher Jewish learning, when I started high school.
Thus began a process of study that took me to a small parochial school on the lower East Side of New York. With limited Jewish educational background, I began preparing myself toward my goal. The culture shock was unbelievable when I realized what lay instore for me.
The normal day started with prayer at seven thirty. The academic day began at eight thirty with religious studies that continued until early afternoon, followed by secular classes until six. Then there was free time until seven thirty after which additional Jewish studies lasted until nine, when we recited the evening prayers.
Because of my limited Jewish educational background, I was placed in a class with ten-year-olds, even though I was then fourteen. These students knew far more than I and, in an endeavor to catch up, one of the rabbinical students tutored me from nine-fifteen until eleven PM. This schedule was followed from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays, classes only lasted until one, which barely left me enough time to get to Bridgeport for the start of the Sabbath during the short winter days.
When I moved uptown to Yeshiva University for college, I had managed to catch up with my peers. This did not mean that the study day was any shorter. For now, Jewish subjects lasted until three in the afternoon and were followed by a full college load, Rarely did the day's formal studies end before ten or eleven at night.
Upon graduation, I continued in a three year Rabbinical Program that culminated in a Masters in Hebrew Literature and the traditional ordination known as Semicha.
It was with and against this background that my Army story begins and what I was and had become, directly affected how I was to serve as a chaplain in the United States Army. That saga began in 1960.