Volunteer of the Month Charlotte Freifeld’s Life: Navy and Judaism

By Mimi Pollack in La Mesa, California

My last volunteer to be featured in 2025 is Charlotte Freifeld. It has been a pleasure to write about these volunteers monthly and showcase the good work they all do in different ways. Charlotte Freifeld is no exception.

Over the years, she has volunteered with various organizations, including the American Red Cross helping with their blood drives, the Lesbian and Gay Men’s Center on their crisis line, and the Southwest R.E.A.C.T., monitoring CB radio transmissions for any emergencies. However, after our interview, my impression was that her passions are/were her time in the Navy and her deep Jewish faith. She is a proud veteran who wears her Navy cap everywhere as well as a Star of David around her neck.

Freifeld was born and raised in Brooklyn and later, her family moved to Binghamton in upstate New York. Following in her older brother’s footsteps, she joined the Navy in 1972. She trained to be a Navy Hospital Corpsman, which she said was the equivalent of a civilian EMT. She first worked in the ER at the Naval hospital in Newport, RI.  A few years later, she moved to San Diego and continued working at Balboa Hospital, the Naval hospital here. She spoke well of her time working for the Navy both in and out of uniform.

She told me that in 1993, she began to dedicate herself to the military Jewish community. She started by assisting the rabbi at the Friday evening services that were held at MCRD or NTC [now known as Liberty Station]. After the rabbi left, she continued as the lay leader taking over leading the services.  It was very important to her to be there for other Jews in the military and be of service to them.

When I asked her if she had any memorable moments she wanted to share, she told me about a Jewish Marine who came up to her after services to thank her. He told her how much it meant to him to have Shabbat once a week and be in a peaceful place without anyone yelling at him as he was a Marine recruit.

Next, there was the Marine recruit from Israel who came and stuck his head in the Torah Arc, breathing deeply. There was also the Marine recruit who asked if he could give the Dvar Torah, the commentary on the Torah portion of the week.  She said he was amazing.

Freifeld mentioned that there were several other memorable moments and that being a volunteer lay leader was one of the most rewarding times of her life.

For her volunteering and helping others makes her heart feel good. Her Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) means making it a little bit better for someone else.

Finally, when I asked her what she did for fun, she told me that since retiring, she has taken on more volunteer jobs. She volunteers with the MS Society and at her shul, Tifereth Israel Synagogue. She really likes helping out at her synagogue and being part of the Sisterhood.

Her guilty pleasure is going to the casino! She likes to play the slots.

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Mimi Pollack is a freelance writer whose interests include animals and human volunteers.