October 2025
Benjamin Gelber
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we move into the heart of fall, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an incredible month for the NYPD Shomrim Society. Despite some uncooperative weather, our 3rd Annual Chai Lifeline “Day with Police” was a huge success! The smiles on the kids’ faces made every bit of dealing with the rain worth it. I want to extend a special thank you to all our volunteers, officers, and community partners who made it possible. Special thanks to everyone who donated, so that the kids had hats, pins, and patches to take home with them. Your dedication embodies what this organization stands for — compassion, service, and unity.
Looking ahead, we’ve got a lot to be excited about. Our monthly meeting will take place on Monday, October 20th at the Police Academy. I strongly encourage all members to attend. It’s a great opportunity to stay informed, get involved, and connect with fellow members as we close out the year.
And of course, our Annual Breakfast, Memorial Service and Presentation of Awards is right around the corner — Sunday, October 26th at Temple Emanu-El. This is one of our biggest events of the year, and we have an incredible lineup of honorees, including This year’s Person of the Year, Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and our beloved Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, who will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of service, leadership, and inspiration to the Shomrim, NYPD and the Jewish community.
Please make every effort to attend the milestone event — your presence strengthens our community and helps us continue the proud tradition of the NYPD Shomrim Society. We are overwhelmed with joy to have witnessed the return of the last 20 living hostages that were held by Hamas in Gaza. This incredible miracle happened two years to the Hebrew date of the holiday of Simchat Torah. Our hearts are full that they have been returned to their families and to all of us. Sadly, we are still waiting for the terrorists to return the remains of those slain by Hamas, including American Omer Neutra, a Long Island, NY resident who was murdered on October 7, 2023. We pray these murdered innocent souls are returned to their families soon and can be laid to rest in a proper Jewish ceremony in the holy land of Israel.
There is still some time to consider joining National Shomrim on our annual convention at sea. January 25th, 2026 aboard the beautiful Celebrity Xcel. Rooms are limited, so if you’re interested in joining, please book asap thru Tony our Cruise planner. I’ll be on the ship and I look forward to seeing familiar faces.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Benjamin Gelber
President