DETROIT
Rabbi Nelson Named Detroit's
First Jewish Police Chaplain
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Assistant Editor
I
t isn't every rabbi who
knows how to handle a
gun, what to say when a
family's child is killed by
drug dealers, how to comfort
a distraught police officer.
Rabbi David Nelson is the
exception.
Rabbi Nelson, of Con-
gregation Beth Shalom, re-
cently became the first Jew-
ish chaplain in the Detroit
Police Department. He joins
49 other chaplains who vol-
unteer each week with the
police force, where their
work entails everything
from accompanying men in
the squad cars to presiding
at memorial services.
Rabbi Nelson hopes in the
near future to receive his
new chaplain's badge bear-
ing a Star of David. Mean-
while, he must be content
with a badge marked by a
cross — a holdover from the
days when the force was
without Jewish representa-
tion.
"It's about time we get
somebody here who is Jew-
ish," says Michael Cohan,
who serves in the 2nd
Precinct.
"I always thought the
chaplains' corps was in-
complete," adds Marshall
Schaeffer, who serves in the
7th Precinct. "Rabbi Nelson
has broken new ground."
Rabbi Nelson credits a
friend with encouraging him
to look into the Detroit
Police Department chap-
laincy. One-and-a-half years
ago, he heard of a training
course offered for chaplains.
He signed up for the eight-
week course, which included
learning how to fire a gun,
riding with the officers, and
meetings with psychologists
and police officials.
"It was worth it just to
meet the Jewish officers,"
Rabbi Nelson says.
Among the 10 Jewish offi-
cers on the Detroit force are
Mr. Cohan, whose father
was one of the first local
Jewish policemen.
"Policemen are tough.
You've got to be," he said.
"What can you say when
you've seen a man who
killed his kids or another
with his head blown off?"
Another Jewish officer is
Marshall Schaeffer, a
graduate of Oak Park High
School who joined the police
force in 1969. He wanted to
14
FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1991
be a veterinarian, but found
few job opportunities in the
field. Then he saw an adver-
tisement for Detroit police
officers. His first assignment
was the 1st Precinct, where
he walked the downtown
beat.
"The job was great," he
says. "I couldn't wait to go to
work."
Twenty years later, Mr.
Schaeffer is still with the
Detroit Police Department.
For the past three years, he
has worked in the 7th
Precinct where he in-
vestigates robbery, rape,
larceny and breaking and
entering. He's also a police
diver.
Rabbi Nelson's first call to
Mr. Schaeffer included more
than the typical introduc-
tion. "He made me come to
services, too," says Mr.
Schaeffer, whose brother
also serves with the Detroit
police.
"In my job, I have to be a
marriage counselor, a
policeman, a lawyer and a
doctor," Mr. Schaeffer says.
"Having a chaplain with us
takes part of that burden
away. I know he has a real
psychological insight. He
can help quell potentially
violent situations. And with
homicides, he can help con-
trol family members."
The police department is
very much a closed fraterni-
ty, says Rabbi Nelson, who
works with policemen of all
religions.
"I didn't want to force my-
self on anyone, but you have
to meet the men so they get
to know and trust you,"
Rabbi Nelson says. "After
awhile, they saw I wasn't
there to deliver sermons."
Rabbi Nelson works four
hours each week as a police
chaplain, then is available
one entire week each year to
work with the force. Though
trained to use a gun, he does
not carry a weapon on duty.
Among his responsibilities
are serving the general
public, including notifying a
family in case of a death and
providing counseling to
policemen.
During a recent ride in a
squad car, the policemen
with whom Rabbi Nelson
was riding stopped at a home
Rabbi Nelson receiving his chaplain's certificate.
where small children were
alone and hungry. The men
went to a nearby store and
bought the children milk.
"They're not going to be
reimbursed for that," he
says.
At times, the chaplain's
job can be painfully difficult,
the officers say. Mr. Cohan
recalls a chaplain brought in
to work with a man holding
hostages. And Rabbi Nelson
already has officiated at the
funeral of a slain Jewish
police officer.
"I wish somebody like that
had been around when my
father died," says Mr.
Cohan, whose father began
serving on the Detroit police
force in 1934.
Rabbi Nelson says he
hopes to bring to the police
force more sensitivity about
religions other than Chris-
tianity. Prayer services gen-
erally end "in Jesus' name,"
and one officer complained of
a document dated "in the
year of our Lord."
"It's a slow battle," Rabbi
Nelson says. "But the fact
that they're adding a Star (of
David) shows sensitivity." ❑
Jewish Students Drop Suit Against MSU
AMY J. MEHLER
Staff Writer
J
ewish students at
Michigan State Uni-
versity withdrew their
suit against the university
last week after the ad-
ministration apologized for
condoning anti-Semitic
remarks made last year by
Louis Farrakhan, leader of
the Chicago-based black
Muslim group called the
Nation of Islam.
The apology, which took
place May 15 at a forum, was
given by the MSU provost
six days before the students'
suit was scheduled to be
heard by the campus' Anti-
Discrimination Judicial
Board.
Jennifer Epstein, program
director at Hillel, said the
provost's remarks finally
acknowledged that Mr. Far-
rakhan made anti-Semitic
statements at a speech on
campus which are inconsis-
tent with the goals of the
university.
The suit, which was
brought by 19 MSU
students, charged President
John DiBiaggio and Provost
David K. Scott with harass-
ment based on creed and
race. The complaint stemm-
ed from the administration's
decision in February 1990 to
give $5,000 for Mr. Far-
rakhan's speech.
Miss Epstein said students
dropped their complaint
since the adoption of new
funding guidelines by the
Office of Student Affairs and
Services and the Office of the
Provost for outside speakers.
The complaint
stemmed from the
administration's
decision in
February 1990 to
give $5,000 for Mr.
Farrakhan's
speech.
New guidelines require
money given by the univer-
sity to go to one particular
event and require the ad-
ministrator allocating funds
to ensure that speaker
guidelines, such as question-
and-answer forums, follow
all public speeches.
Miss Epstein said that
besides the funding issue,
students objected to the
absence of the question-and-
answer forum after Mr. Far-
rakhan's presentation.
Mr. Farrakhan, the con-
troversial black Muslim
leader whom the Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith calls anti-Semitic and
racist, was brought to MSU
by the student group As
One, a group that promotes
black pride by educating
blacks about their past.
Ezra Hyland, the As One
adviser, said, "We feel that
black people are psychologi-
cal slaves today. Farrakhan's
visit to the campus was
meant to get people talking."
Miss Epstein, a graduate
of MSU, said the students
never sought to ban or limit
Mr. Farrakhan's message.
"We may have been morally
outraged that someone with
his (Mr. Farrakhan) record
of anti-Jewish remarks was
speaking on campus, but
that's his right under free
speech," she said.
"We objected to the fact
that the money came from
the administration and not
from ASMSU (the Associ-
ation of Students of MSU).
This was money from the
Provost's Office, and that's
not only facilitating Far-
rakhan's appearance, that's
supporting it."
Dr. Mark Finkelstein, ex-
ecutive director of Hillel,
said the suit did not stem
from Hillel but was organiz-
ed by students. But he also
agreed that the university
should not have supported
Mr. Farrakhan.
"He's a hate-monger and
anti-Semitism is not a
debatable commodity," Mr.
Finkelstein said. "It's a very
serious matter and we could
do nothing else but object to
it."
According to Mr. Hyland,
As One originally requested
$20,000 to bring Mr. Far-
rakhan to MSU.
"Writers like Maya Ange-
lou and Norman Mailer get at
lease $20,000 per appear-
ance," Mr. Hyland said. "We
knew someone like Minister
Farrakhan could fill an
auditorium just as easily."
Mr. Hyland said the ad-
ministration ultimately
gave them $5,000 for pro-
gramming which included a
$500 refundable auditorium
fee. He said three weeks
before Mr. Farrakhan's Feb.
18 speech, the university
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