BACH Jewish Center Rabbi Appointed Chaplain to City of Long Beach Police Dept.

Rabbi Benny Berlin, the Rabbi of the BACH Jewish Center, was recently appointed to serve as a chaplain to the city’s police department. The ceremony was attended by City of Long Beach City Manager Daniel Creighton, Deputy Manager Philip L. Ragona, and presided over by Acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma.

As a chaplain, Rabbi Berlin will provide spiritual support to officers of the Long Beach Police Department and the communities they serve. His role will entail counseling, participating in ceremonies, supporting and advocating for the spiritual needs of officers and the constituents they serve while building bridges between the department and Long Beach’s burgeoning Jewish community.

“It is a great honor for me to serve as chaplain to the dedicated men and women of the Long Beach Police Department,” said Rabbi Berlin. “I look forward to working alongside those who tirelessly serve our community offering them support, guidance, and spiritual care as the needs arise and advocating for the emergent needs of our Long Beach community.”

“Since taking the helm at the BACH Jewish Center, Rabbi Berlin has worked in partnership with us to develop programming bringing together his congregation and our department,” said Acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma. “The synagogue’s annual Police appreciation barbeque and other communal events hosted by Rabbi Berlin and his community provide our officers with the opportunity to develop and foster relationships with the community we serve.”

“Rabbi Berlin is already a close friend of the department, and we look forward to further growing our relationship with him in his new role as department chaplain,” he added.