Rabbi Alvin Kass, NYPD’s Longest-Serving Chaplain, Passes Away at 89

Belaaz is saddened to inform you on the passing of Rabbi Alvin Kass, the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) chief chaplain and its longest-serving member. He was 89 years old and remained the department’s oldest active member at the time of his passing overnight.

Kass joined the NYPD in 1966 at age 30, becoming the youngest chaplain in its history. A U.S. Air Force veteran and Columbia University graduate, he served nearly six decades as the department’s “spiritual heart,” providing strength, guidance, and faith to generations of officers and their families.

He was among the first to respond after the 9/11 attacks, consoling the families of the 23 NYPD officers lost that day. A fixture at funerals, celebrations, and Police Academy graduations, Kass stood beside members “through moments of tragedy and triumph alike.”

At every graduation, he delivered his signature blessing: a 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”, NYPD chief Jessica Tisch wrote on social media.

In September 2020, Kass made headlines when he fought off a mugger during his daily walk on the Upper West Side — the second time he had been attacked on his morning route. Undeterred, he vowed to resume his walk the next day.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called him “a source of strength, guidance, and faith,” adding: “His loss is immeasurable. His example is everlasting. May his memory be a blessing.”