Video, Photos: Major Menashe Miller Returns from Iraq to Lakewood

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menashe-miller-lakewood[Video and photos below.] Lakewood Deputy Mayor R’ Menashe Miller, a Major in the U.S. Air Force reserve, was welcomed home today in Lakewood, NJ, after being deployed in Iraq since mid-November. 

When R’ Menashe arrived in his hometown shortly before 11 a.m., he was greeted by a motorcade comprised of police officers, local askanim and friends, who escorted him from Pine Park, off of County Line Road, near the Lakewood-Jackson border. The motorcade made its way east on County Line Road and then onto Madison Avenue, turning left onto Courtney Road, where a stop was made at Bais Faiga Elementary School, at which point R’ Menashe picked up two of his daughters, who joined him in a limousine. The motorcade then drove the downtown Lakewood, toward Forest Park, where R’ Menashe resides.

With great joy, local officials and residents gathered outside the Miller residence on Forest Park Circle to greet R’ Menashe and express their gratitude for his service to this country and for being a proud representative of Lakewood. Among those present were R’ Menashe’s esteemed parents, wife, children and extended family, as well as Committeeman R’ Meir Lichtenstein, Committeeman Ray Coles, Committeeman-elect Isaac Ackerman, former Department of Public Works Director John Franklin, and many state and local police officers.

After greeting Major Miller, the crowd joined him in the simcha hall of the Forest Park Shul for a light brunch. At the gathering, a beautiful collage of pictures and newspaper stories about R’ Menashe’s deployment was displayed, and the assemblage heard warm introductory words from Committeeman R’ Meir Lichtenstein, who echoed the sentiments of all in attendance by stating how gratified Lakewood is that R’ Menashe has returned home safe and sound. R’ Menashe spoke for several minutes, thanking his parents, wife, children and family, and all those who helped organize today’s event and pitched in for him during his absence.

R’ Menashe, who had been a captain in the Army, was recently promoted to the rank of Major in Iraq. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2002. After attending officer training school at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama in 2003, he graduated as a First Lieutenant.  In 2004, he was promoted to Captain, and during his recent stint overseas was promoted to Major. R’ Menashe is part of the 87th Air Base Wing, formerly the 305th Air Mobility Wing.

R’ Menashe has remarked that although he was placed in Iraq to provide spiritual and emotional support to the soldiers there, foremost in his mind has always been to be an example of a ben Torah from Lakewood. Soldiers and the civilian contractors have looked up to R’ Menashe for inspiration and for direction regarding many of their personal issues.

R’ Menashe served as the deputy mayor of Lakewood during the 2010 year. Tomorrow, at the Lakewood Township Committee annual reorganizational meeting, R’ Menashe will be accepting the position of mayor of Lakewood for the first time since joining the Township Committee in 20003.

Also at tomorrow’s meeting, Isaac Ackerman will be sworn in for his first term on Lakewood’s governing body.

Click below for video clips of today’s event:

Those with slower connections may watch the video below:

[media id=1064 width=400 height=300]

See below for photos:

{Story and media courtesy of Yated Ne’eman/Video and photo copying courtesy of T Kupfer-Data Imaging}



10 COMMENTS

  1. Reb Menashe has always been a true example of a ben Torah & indeed Lakewood is gratified that R’ Menashe has B”H returned home safe and sound.

  2. beautiful

    But why didn’t they have anyone sing the National Anthem by the gathering? Wouldn’t that have been apropos? How about Rabbi Hisiger from the Yated? Doesn’t he have a beautiful voice? WHy didn’t they have him sing?

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