Rabbi Alvin Kass, the longtime chief chaplain of the New York City Police Department and one of the most enduring figures in city service, was niftar overnight at the age of 89.

Rabbi Kass, who joined the NYPD in 1966, was both the department’s oldest and longest-serving member, having spent nearly six decades offering guidance, comfort, and assistance to generations of Jewish officers and their families. His presence was a constant at moments of both celebration and sorrow — from academy graduations to line-of-duty funerals — and he was among the first responders on September 11, 2001, offering comfort to the families of fallen officers.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described Rabbi Kass as “the NYPD’s spiritual heart — a source of strength, guidance, and faith for generations of police officers and their families.”

In her statement, she noted that Rabbi Kass often concluded ceremonies with a heartfelt prayer: “That New York be a place where people of every race, religion, color, and creed can pursue their individual destinies untrammeled, unafraid, and in obedience to Thy will.”

Rabbi Kass was a U.S. Air Force veteran, a Columbia University graduate, and a fixture of moral clarity in a department that came to revere him as a living institution. Throughout his tenure, he was known not only for his eloquent words but for his personal courage. In 2020, at the age of 84, he made headlines after fending off a mugger during his daily morning walk on the Upper West Side — and vowed he would be back on his route the next morning.

Commissioner Tisch said the loss of Rabbi Kass leaves “an immeasurable void.”

“He comforted the grieving, counseled the troubled, and reminded all of us of the deeper purpose in what we do. His loss is immeasurable. His example is everlasting. May his memory be a blessing.”

Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass was the long-serving Rabbi of the East Midwood Jewish Center (a Conservative Egalitarian synagogue) where he served as for 36 years until his retirement in 2014.

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