Source: Haaretz
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/374395.html
On December 25, 2003 Haaretz reported on the case of Margaret and Rafael Chaikin, two Orthodox Jews recently discharged from the military for their failure to attend class on Yom Kippur. According to Haaretz, the two "received a 'general discharge' from the army, a definition that indicates that the soldier did not commit any crime during the course of his service, but was discharged because of not meeting the requirements or because of incompatibility. For the Chaikins, this is of significance - they would like to receive an 'honorable discharge,' the highest discharge level, granted to soldiers who have fulfilled their tasks completely... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, stating that this is a case of a violation of the civil rights of the two soldiers, while on Capitol Hill, two Democratic congressmen - Robert Wexler of Florida and Chris Bell of Texas - sent a letter to the Secretary of the Army in which they asked for explanations for the affair, and for the 'general discharge' of the two."