Written and Produced by Betty Astrizky, Corresponding Secretary, National Conference of Shomrim Societies
IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THE KADDISH SERVICE AT POLICE WEEK! There has been a last minute change to the collation that will follow the ceremony at the NLEOM. Shomrim of D.C. Co-President Brett Parson advises it will now take place at FOP Lodge #1, 711 4th Street NW, walking distance from the NLEOM. The remembrance of the fallen officers will still take place on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 0900 at the official memorial, and afterwards all Shomrim members are invited to meet up at the FOP Lodge to enjoy refreshments. For any other questions regarding Police Memorial Week please contact Brett at brett.parson@gmail.com.
Hello Spring! We’re heading into the warmth and sunshine and that means Shomrim activities move outdoors!
We are a few short weeks away to the Celebrate Israel Parade on Sunday, June 3rd, in New York City and have finalized all the details. There will be a preparade collation at Temple Emanuel beginning at 8:30 a.m., entrance is on 65th Street, off Fifth Avenue. Synagogue personnel will be there to direct attendees downstairs to the collation, where everyone will enjoy a traditional New York breakfast of bagels and coffee. There will be a short National Shomrim meeting right after the collation, and we would like as many chapters as possible represented, so please RSVP ASAP to the Corresponding Secretary at BAstrizky@aol.com if you plan on attending the meeting and which chapter you will be representing.
Directly after the meeting we will walk to Fifth Avenue and 56th Street, where we will prepare to march up the most famous avenue in the world with the largest Shomrim delegation in the nation! Formation requirements are as follows: Uniformed members of all services are requested to wear dress uniform. All other Shomrim members should dress in business attire or wear a blue blazer, grey dress slacks, white shirt and tie to march in the formation. Other Shomrim members should wear their organization’s official shirts, hats or other head coverings. National Shomrim President Scot Pomerantz and the board members will lead our delegation up Fifth Avenue, followed by all chapter presidents, uniformed Shomrim members, and all civilians, vehicles, family and friends. It is an amazing sight and a thrill when we hear the crowd cheering us on in the largest celebration of Jewish pride in the nation.
We will be having a very special guest marching with us this year – Michel Theeboom, President of the Jewish Police Association of the Netherlands. Michel will be flying into JFK a few days before the parade and would like to join our various local chapters to observe their duties. He will have official credentials from the Dutch Embassy to join his fellow officers in the NYPD, PAPD and other forces, so if any of our members who would like to show him the duties of the hardworking officers of the finest police agencies in the world, please contact him directly at micheltheeboom@me.com. And don’t worry, he speaks English very well, better than some of us! We are also planning a small get together at Dallas BBQ, 1265 Third Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd Streets) in Manhattan on Saturday, June 2nd, at 5:00 p.m., so if you would like to meet Michel and have a relaxing meal with your Shomrim friends, please RSVP ASAP to the corresponding secretary at BAstrizky@aol.com so we can have an accurate count of attendees.
There are still two cabins left for our group at our price for the beautiful Celebrity Silhouette, the location for our 2019 National Shomrim convention. Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, February 1, 2019, to Grand Cayman, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and returning on Sunday, February 10, 2019, the Silhouette will sail deep into the Southern Caribbean to ports that National Shomrim has never traveled to as a group and will have many of the special services that our group enjoys – private cocktail parties, Sabbath services, and of course, our own meeting facilities, where our expert lecturers give talks on many different topics that are important to our professional and personal lives. Attendees can also choose from two of these four extra perks that Celebrity is offering to our group:
- Free internet for two people (in the same stateroom), or
- Free beverage package, or
- Free gratuities, or
- Onboard stateroom credit of $300
Balcony $1572.96 per person (single price is $3001,96)
Inside $1,126.25 per person (single price $2,145.25)
A $450.00 per person deposit is due at time of booking and is fully refundable until October 15, 2018. Insurance is highly recommended and an additional price.
Also, kosher food is available to any attendee who requires it. Don’t wait much longer to make your reservations by emailing Tony at cruisexpo@gmail.com or call him at (954) 384-7245 to book your cabin ASAP to take advantage of the amazing benefits our group will be getting.
CHAPTER NEWS AND INFORMATION
On Monday, May 21, 2018, Nassau Shomrim is joining the Nassau County Police Dept. Annual Fraternity Unity Summer Kickoff in Atlantic City. The day trip costs $45.00 and includes roundtrip transportation, a $25.00 playing card and refreshments. After a potluck breakfast, the bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. from Nassau County Police Headquarters. If you would like to attend please contact Nassau Shomrim directly at nassaushomrim@gmail.com.
The NYPD Shomrim Society will have their Annual Old Timers Luncheon on Thursday, June 7, 2018, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Ben’s Deli, 211-37 26th Avenue, Bayside, NY. Anyone with a craving for an authentic New York pastrami sandwich with a Dr. Brown’s soda, among many traditional delicacies, is invited and should RSVP to president@nypdshomrim.org.
Judi Abrams Buch, Past President of Shomrim of Philadelphia, is looking for volunteers for the annual Paddle for Pink fundraiser on Saturday, June 9, 2018. The Paddle for Pink is a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. It will be hosted by the Machestic Dragons, the first breast cancer survivors dragon boat team. Judi, a breast cancer survivor, is an avid supporter of this annual event and asks that anyone wishing to give generously of their time or donations should email volunteers@paddleforpink.org.
On Thursday, June 14th, Shomrim of Philadelphia will be having their end of the year dinner at The Pub in Pennsauken, New Jersey. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. and if anyone would like to attend please contact Merrill Kelem at sgtmk@yahoo.com
Save the date for the annual baseball game in memory of Elie Scott, AH, son of longtime Shomrim of D.C. members Sarit and Rusty Scott. On Sunday, July 8, at 1:30, the Washington Nationals will play the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Anyone wishing to attend please send an email to SaritRScott@gmail.com.
Shomrim of Illinois will be having their annual picnic on Sunday, July 29, 2018, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Apachi Day Camp in Northbrook, IL. If you would like to attend please let Bruce Rottner know at Bruce3431@aol.com
National Correctional Officers week was commemorated the week of May 6 to 12, 2018, and we want to thank the “boldest” members of our uniformed services for their hard work in our nation’s correctional facilities. We especially want to thank the members of our own Macabee Society and their president, Michael Picard, for walking the toughest corridors in the toughest jails in New York.
A memorial service was held on Monday, May 7th, for fallen fire fighter and Shomrim of Maryland member Gene Kirchner, who died on May 2, 2013, eight days after he was critically injured fighting a house fire and attempting to rescue a resident. Born in Israel, Gene joined the volunteer fire dept as a junior firefighter at the age of 16 and two years later he officially became a volunteer firefighter/EMT. He was 25 years old. The service was held at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens with Shomrim of Maryland members in attendance. Gene’s sacrifice and service will never be forgotten.
Shomrim of Philadelphia reports the passing of their member retired Lt. Bernie Margolis. Lt. Margolis served with the Philadelphia Police Dept. in the Major Crimes Unit and for many years was the editor of their newsletter, the Shomrim Herald. He was remembered as compassionate and a valuable member of their organization. May the memory of Bernie Margolis be a blessing to his family, friends and Shomrim of Philadelphia.
Shomrim of Philadelphia also reports that their chaplain, Cantor Alan Edwards, will be retiring and moving to Florida. A dinner will be held in his honor and once details are set anyone wishing to attend will be notified of the date and time.
The current class of Port Authority Police recruits got a history lesson that is considered the first of its kind in the agency and possibly in New York. When the instructor asked the class if they knew about the Holocaust, less than half raised their hands. Shocked and surprised, he reached out to Lt. Scot Pomerantz, President of the Port Authority Shomrim Society, to help coordinate a lesson plan for the recruits. Scot immediately contacted their chaplain, Rabbi Mendy Carlebach, who brought in a Holocaust survivor to tell the class about his experiences in the death camp. The recruits were visibly moved as they heard about the beatings, starvation and killings the Jews experienced at the hands of the Nazis. To read an article about the class, please go to www.panynj.gov, click on Portfolio and the title of the article, Lessons of the Past Shape the Future (May 3, 2018).
MEMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION
Past National Shomrim President and Past Nassau Shomrim President Gary Shapiro, currently the organization’s trustee, will be honored with the Distinguished Person of the Year Award by the Nassau County Hispanic Society at their 5th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala on Thursday, May 31, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. at Jericho Terrace, 249 Jericho Tpke. in Mineola (Long Island), NY. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Nassau Shomrim President Shevy Berkovitz at nassaushomrim@gmail.com.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES!
- Rochester, New York has an open and continuous recruitment for police officers. Please check their website, www.cityofrochester.gov, for details and how to apply.
- The City of Allentown, Pennsylvania will be accepting applications for their police department from May 1 thru July 31, 2018. Interested candidates should go to their website, allentownpa.gov, for information on how to apply as well as all the requirements to join their force.
- Our 49th state is hiring police officers, corrections officers and other law enforcement personnel. Please go to the following website, www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska for information on a career in America’s most remote and fascinating state.
- The City of Boynton Beach, Florida, is searching police officers and police officer recruits. In addition, they are recruiting for their 10th annual Teen Police Academy. This week long camp takes place July 30th to August 3rd and is open to teens 14 to 16 years old. Please check their Facebook page for details, Boynton Beach Police Dept.
- Miami Beach, Florida is continuing to accept applications for certified police officers and police officer candidates. For information please go to their website, MBPDRecruitment@miamibeachfl.gov or call (305) 673-7909.
- The City of Hollywood, Florida has an open and continuous recruitment for certified and non-certified police officers, community service officers and school resource officers. Please go to their website, www.hollywoodfl.org, and click the link for police, which will take you to their page to view current job listings.
- The City of Delray Beach, Florida is continuing to accept applications for police officer candidates. Please go to their website, www.mydelraybeach.com, for salary, benefits and other details.
- The Florida Highway Patrol is hiring state troopers. Check their website, beatrooper.com, for details.
- The FBI is looking for special agents! Please go to their website, FBIJobs.gov, for details on how to apply.
As we get closer to the summer season, all chapters are reminded to forward all their events to the Corresponding Secretary at BAstrizky@aol.com, as promptly as possible so that they can be listed in the next newsletter. There will be only one newsletter sent out over the summer and we want to make sure that as many events as possible get into that edition.
The Corresponding Secretary was also recently contacted by a member of one of the chapters who stated they were not receiving the newsletter directly from their chapter president or their board members. As a gentle reminder, please make sure that the newsletter is forwarded to all members of each chapter so that they can also read about and participate in all Shomrim local and national events. Thank you!
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS! Please make sure that your chapter dues of $100 are paid for 2018. It is important to keep your chapter active so that you can vote on important matters during our National Shomrim meetings. If you are unsure if your chapter has paid its dues please contact our treasurer, Marty Turetzky at rmturetzky@aol.com.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS! Please send in your dues of $18.00 for 2018. If you’re also unsure if you’re membership is paid up for this year please contact the treasurer.
Finally, in your travels, whether on vacation or in your areas, running errands or at an official function, should you encounter a Jewish police officer, fire fighter, EMT, DA/ADA, probation/parole/correction officer, or anyone in the uniformed services, please make sure to get their contact information and forward it to the Corresponding Secretary so we can expand our membership and continue to grow our organization!
PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS OUT TO NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SHOMRIM SOCIETIES
All dues should be mailed to:
National Shomrim Treasurer Marty Turetzky
264 East Broadway
C1905, New York, NY 10002
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