By Chief Fred Maas, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department

His face is very familiar to many of you about our town and at functions.  His synagogue is located within our city and many of the religious community of Chabad Russian Center live within our city of Sunny Isles Beach.  Therefore, it makes good sense to appoint and welcome, Rabbi Alexander Kaller to a position of “police chaplain” for the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and the Community of Residents.

The role of police chaplain is not confined or limited to police matters.  They have often served as counselors, crisis intervention specialists, family negotiators and of course religious confidants.  On certain occasions when disaster or crisis strikes, the police handle the operational and investigative side but the priest, minister or rabbi handle the emotional and comforting side.  They have been and can be of huge benefit in restoring calm to a chaotic and heartbreaking incident.

Rabbi Kaller joins the ranks of our other police chaplains and community chaplains, including Father Tom Hanold of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church and Rabbi Baron of Young Israel.  These assignments are not taken lightly but their work is often treated confidentially. 

Rabbi Kaller was born is Moscow, Russia and studied in London, England at Yeshiva Rabbinical Seminary.  He furthered his studies in New York he concluded his studies and was ordained a Rabbi in 2000.  He arrived in South Florida in 2002 to serve the spiritual needs of the Jewish Russian Community.

Please join me in a welcome to Rabbi Kaller and to his additional role and responsibility as police chaplain.