Rabbi fights US Army beard ban

A rabbi hoping to become chaplain to US troops has run into a problem as plain as the hair on his face – his beard.

According to the army’s strict regulations on appearance, anyone serving the military must be clean - shaven, but Chabad rabbi Menachem Stern has a long black beard.

Rabbi Stern was refused a job as a military chaplain last year after he claimed it would contradict his religious beliefs to trim it.

He is now suing the US Army, seeking both the job and damages. His argument is that refusing to emply him because of his religious practice is a violation of his constitutional right.