Lucky for me, years ago, I met a man who filled that criteria – my math teacher when I studied abroad in Israel.  Affectionately known as “Doc Huerta” by his students, Huerta, a Sephardic Orthodox Jew, had made aliyah to Israel after retiring from service as a Chaplain in the US Army.  As a teacher he not only taught mathematics, but at the same time also taught us about life, love, and loss.  He left such an impact on me that I still today, from time to time, find myself thinking of Doc Huerta and the lessons he imparted on me during my time as his pupil.

This past week, 7 years after I took his class, Doc Huerta taught me yet another lesson on life and compassion.  Army Chaplain Carlos C. Huerta came out of retirement and is currently on his second tour of duty in Iraq, ministering to the Jewish soldiers in need on the front lines.  A Rabbi of 20 years, he made news this past week in an article entitle “One Flag, Many Faiths” by acting on the compassion and thoughtfulness which he has been preaching his entire lifetime.  Clenching the hand of a dying Iraqi boy in a hospital in Mosul, Huerta recited passages from the Qur’an acting as he thought an Imam would.  When an Iraqi child was wounded in a suicide bombing and was in desperate need of a B-positive blood transfusion Huerta rolled up his sleeve and donated his own blood.  Reflecting on these two instances, Huerta said, “we're priests, rabbis, imams, whatever…Our job is to comfort people."

Often we talk of the religious divides that keep us apart, but here is a man who is willing to cross that threshold and see the other as human.  Seven years later, this amazing man continues to inspire me.  And hopefully, can inspire a nation to learn to care for one another regardless of differences.