Fred Altman, commander of Albany Post 105 of the Jewish War Veterans, presents the annual Four Chaplains Brotherhood Award to Melanie Puorto Conte for her volunteer service to youth and women at risk for suicide and human trafficking at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, Feb, 2. Photo courtesy of Richard Goldenberg.
SCHENECTADY– Members of the Jewish War Veterans (JWV) from throughout the area joined with JWV’s Albany Post 105 to remember the World War II service and sacrifice of the Four Chaplains and to present its annual Brotherhood Award to Melanie Puorto Conte of Niskayuna, on Feb. 2, at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady.
The annual event honors four Army chaplains who gave their life jackets to others and calmly prayed as their troopship Dorchester sank on February 3, 1943. The four chaplains were Reverend George Fox, a Methodist minister from Lewiston, Penn., Rabbi Alexander Goode from Brooklyn, N.Y., Dutch Reformed Reverend Clark Poling, from Schenectady, and Father John Washington, a Roman Catholic priest from Newark, N.J. the four died helping others.
The award honors those whose service and devotion in the practice of brotherhood is deserving of community recognition, according to Albany Post 105 Commander Fred Altman.
The JWV group has held an annual ceremony to remember the Four Chaplains and recognize those who live up to their legacy since 1966. “This award is one that we carefully select,” said Altman.
Puorto Conte has helped hundreds of women and children through her efforts with the Community Action for Parents, Teens, and Interested Neighbors and Safe Inc. of Schenectady. She supports the Zonta Club of Schenectady, which improves the status of women and girls through advocacy and service; Working Group on Girls, which provides social and emotional support to middle and high school girls; as well as her position as director of Safe Harbor in Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, which works with the Office of Children and Family Services in both Schenectady and Saratoga counties to help runaway, homeless and vulnerable youth.
Her work has also helped youth and their families who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation or labor trafficking.
Gary Ginsburg, national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, speaks to the attendees of the 60th Annual Four Chaplains Remembrance and Brotherhood Award ceremony at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, Feb, 2. Photo courtesy of Lance Wang.
Puorto Conte said, “I am truly honored to receive this Four Chaplains Brotherhood Award, it’s a recognition I don’t take lightly and it’s a reminder of the incredible journey we’ve all been on in this field of suicide prevention and human trafficking”.
Puorto Conto told the audience that when she learned that of local area youth suicides in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were all connected to trafficking, she had to take action. “That gave me the impetus, after I retired, to do something in this field, in my community, to make a difference,” she said.
“We push forward, because I see their strength, their courage and resilience. Together, we can make lasting change,” she said.
Nearly 75 attendees filled the Poling Chapel. The diverse group included local veterans organizations, representatives of the First Reformed Church, the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, members of the New York State Assembly and Senate, and the region’s congressional representative, Congressman Paul Tonko. Rev. Poling had served the congregation of the First Reformed Church before his chaplaincy and wartime service.
“This happens to be one of my most cherished recurring events in our region,” Tonko said.
“To be able to think of the optics of that tragedy on the troopship Dorchester, more than 80 years ago, and visualizing four men of God, a rabbi, a Methodist minister, Dutch Reform minister and a Roman Catholic priest locked in arms, in circle in prayer, what a noble expression, their communion is a deep expression of community and of respect for diversity,” he said.
“And so this is an extremely sensitive and well-thought out award that is presented and so Melanie, you should be honored with this acknowledged. I thank you for the work that you do. It is so very valuable,” Tonko said.
JWV National Commander Gary Ginsburg spoke of the continuing presence of the spirit of the four chaplains in communities around the country and noted the work of JWV in upstate New York to continue the tradition to recognize and award that spirit. He praised Puorto Conte’s volunteerism and devotion to others as reflecting the military services’ own core values.
“The Four Chaplains represent the best of our military, and I really believe, Melanie, as far as what you’ve done in the community, here in the Albany Schenectady area, I’m very impressed, because that reflects some of the best of this community and those core values apply to civilian life, things such as courage, respect, selfless service.”
