[ children singing ]
[Rev. Kevin Dean] They're among Chicago's earliest settlers
and its most recent immigrants.
They've made countless contributions
to our city and society at large.
They are followers of the Jewish faith
and their historical, cultural
and religious heritage enriches our city from Hegewisch
to Edgewater and all neighborhoods in-between.
[ children singing ]
Hello, I'm Chaplain Kevin Dean
with the Chicago Police Department.
This is the third in a series of videos to expand your knowledge
and understanding of the many diverse communities
within our city.
Having even a basic knowledge of a person's customs
and culture enables police officers to conduct their duties
in a more efficient and respectful manner.
Today, we explore Judaism.
[Rabbi Ira Youdovin] What separates Judaism from Christianity is its belief
that the Messiah
or the Messianic age has not as yet come.
of Jewish faith living in the Chicago area.
Rabbis are leaders in the Jewish community.
Most have congregations
and they are a good information resource for police.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] The idea is that when there is something that happens,
whether it's good or bad,
most of the time the congregation looks
to the rabbi for direction.
Conservative, and Reform.
[Rabbi Michael Siegel] The orthodox are the most traditional.
And one of the things that will set an orthodox community apart
is that on the Sabbath
and on holidays they will walk and not drive.
In a conservative community you will find people both walking
and driving and a more liberal understanding of Jewish law.
The reformed community is the most liberal and um,
the issues regarding ritual are often not seen
as being applicable to the reformed communities.
Orthodox has not changed the customs
or traditions from day one.
We follow the same customs the same prayers,
the same traditions as they have from the beginning of time,
with conservative and reform adopting the religion
to the times or changing with the times.
covering called a yarmulke.
Police should be sensitive to individual beliefs
when asking a Jewish man to remove his yarmulke.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] If I were asked by a police officer to remove my yarmulke
because he needs to check
that I'm not concealing something, fine.
It is permissible for someone to take their hat off,
but they would always want to keep their yarmulke on.
They could, theoretically, slide it around so
that the officer can get a full look
at their head if that's necessary.
which is sometimes referred to as ultra-orthodox.
[Rabbi Baruch Epstein]
on their head, a yarmulke or sometimes a black hat,
even some on the holidays and Sabbath we'll wear a fur,
it's called a strimoh or a spudic .
It's a more cylindrical or rounded hat.
The married women always keep their hair covered,
either with a wig or a kerchief or a hat.
I'm wearing a wig it's called a shasel.
That's the Yiddish term for it.
in public.
[Chaya Eptein] It would be very offensive to be asked to remove it.
It would be not at all a problem to explain
that you wear it and why you wear it and so forth,
but a woman is very protective about her head covering.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] It's no different than a woman being asked
to take her blouse off.
I know it sounds silly but it actually has the same level
of modesty as many of us are concerned.
[Chaya Epstein] If it became necessary for some reason which I can't even think
of why it should, then take her
to a bathroom with a woman officer.
You know, as private and as small an area as you can imagine
to ask her to remove it.
[Rev. Kevin Dean]
That's reflected in their dress,
especially in the Hasidic community.
[Rabbi Baruch Epstein]
The boys will always be wearing the yarmulkes
and tzitzit the strings that stick
out from underneath their shirt.
The tzitizit, the strings, reminds us of the commandments
and the covenant that we've entered into with God
to observe the 613 commandments that are spelled
out in the Bible, in the Torah.
Men wear prayer shawls and leather boxes strapped
to their arms or heads.
The boxes are called Tefillins.
Inside are pieces of parchment with quotations from the Torah.
The Torah encompasses the first five books of Moses.
Torah scrolls are kept locked in an ark in the synagogue.
[Rabbi Zev Shandolov]
appropriate if the rabbi or someone else is present.
For example, we keep, the thing that we have
that is most valuable besides the people of course
in the synagogue are the Torah scrolls.
and conservative synagogues.
They are separated in Orthodox synagogues.
In the orthodox community there is a separation of the sexes
at an early age, not just during worship,
but in education and play to.
Physical contact, even handshaking, between men
and women outside of marriage is not acceptable.
[Chaya Epstein] A Hasidic woman in not going to want to,
a jewish woman will not want to shake hands with a man
or a casual touch, you know a 'That was good' and pat
on the back or something, is going to be not comfortable.
[Rabbi Moshe Wolf] Usually a good rule of thumb is to greet as a, uh,
person to person greeting without the handshake
and nobody will be offended.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] Let's say I was taken in for questioning for some reason
and the officer who is questioning me is female, again,
technically we should not be alone in the same room.
It's just considered inappropriate.
A door can be open or there could be somebody else present
or again a two-way or one-way mirror, something of that sort.
Children don't listen to the radio or pop music.
There is an emphasis on reading and religious education.
[Chaya Epstein]
that they may not know what's going on in the world
but they're sheltered in the sense we don't have a TV.
We don't listen to the radio.
We monitor what they read in terms of books.
[Rabbi BaruchEpstein] Bear in mind these children don't know words like sex
offender and um drugs and so on.
This is not a part of their world.
It is something that is deliberately kept
out of their world and it's going to be seen
as very intrusive and very odd and inappropriate
if this is brought up by a person of authority,
such as a police officer.
for a small box on the the exterior doorpost.
[Rabbi Moshe Wolf]
on the right hand side
of the door you will find something that's called a
Mezuzah, which contains a little parchment of a portion
of the Torah, which asks God's blessing
and protection on our home.
Police should never bring non-kosher food
into a home or synagogue either.
Perhaps the most important Orthodox practices police need
to be aware of are those surrounding observance
of the Sabbath and the holidays.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] Every week from Friday at sundown till Saturday night,
approximately an hour
after sundown is our day called Shabbat, which is the Sabbath.
[Rabbi Ira Youdovin] You shall do no manner of work and work is defined
over the generations as a whole number of things,
not just going to your job.
[Rabbi Baruch Epstein] There is no electrical devices used, no telephones,
no writing implements.
People do not carry anything outside.
So if an officer asked somebody if they had some identification,
it would be very common on the Sabbath
that they would not have anything,
not their drivers license not anything not even a key
to their own home in their pocket.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov] And cars, we do not drive in a car.
We don't turn lights on and off.
We would leave them on a timer but we would not walk in a room
and turn on the lights.
[Rabbi Baruch Epstein] If a car is parked some place illegally and the officer says
"Please move your car."
they can't move their car.
The officer can volunteer to take the keys
and move the car and that's fine.
[Rev. Kevin Dean] So unless it's an extreme emergency,
an Orthodox Jew may not phone police to report a crime
until after the Sabbath.
He or she will not ride in a police
or even an ambulance unless it's a matter of life or death.
[Rabbi Mosh Wolf] But, if at any time or point where it's a life
and death emergency, they are permitted to summon help.
Rabbis may be contacted in person at their synagogues
to help alert the community if necessary.
Police are always welcome and even encouraged
to show a presence during times of worship.
[Rabbi Michael Siegel] Especially in these days when there's
such a heightened focus on security.
When the building is open and there are multiple entrances
in synagogues we are hyper-aware of the dangers
that lurk around and so we, we welcome police protection.
We welcome the presence of police patrolling around.
of hate crimes and harassment
that can occur while Jews are coming to
and from the synagogue.
[Rabbi Zev Shandalov]
It would be a very good education.
Without his uniform, to just walk around on Devon
or Foster Avenues on a Friday night,
especially when there's foot traffic and just listen.
Listen to the honking, listen to the screaming,
it's constant, no question.
[Rabbi Michael Siegel] And so the reaction of the, of the community,
like the Jewish community, is something
that the police do have to take seriously.
Because we also are aware of how quickly things can change
and how quickly a synagogue can become a target
and people entering the synagogue can become targets
for those who have anti-Semitic beliefs.
government-endorsed anti-Semitism,
especially in the former Soviet Union.
[Rabbi Baruch Epstein] It's not a Jewish concept as much
as it is a Russian cultural concept
and therefore they should please be understanding
that if you approach an elderly Russian person
lived through communism and Stalin and Lenin and so on,
that seeing someone in a badge is not reassuring,
it's frightening.
and appreciation in the Jewish community.
[Rabbi Ira Youdovin] American Jews are exceedingly grateful to the police
of our country and to the police
of Chicago for the protection
and the security they guarantee.
Jews have very rarely in our history,
regarded the police the local police as our friends.
But this is a blessed exception and you will find rabbis
and other synagogue leaders who are very, very eager to be
as cooperative as possible.
[Rev. Kevin Dean] As you now know, there are many religious
and cultural considerations to keep in mind when dealing
with people of the Jewish faith.
Men may or may not be hesitant to remove head coverings.
Orthodox women should never be asked to remove a head covering
in public or in the presence of a male officer.
Shaking hands is not appropriate
when greeting an Orthodox Jew of the opposite sex.
If possible, Orthodox men and women should be interviewed
by officers of the same sex.
Never bring non-kosher food
into a Jewish home or synagogue.
Sabbath laws prohibit Orthodox Jews from using telephones,
cars, money and electrical devises from sundown on Friday
to sundown on Saturday.
Some Jews of foreign descent may be fearful of police.
All of the people we encounter on a daily basis expect
to be treated with dignity and respect.
Those who practice the Jewish faith are no exception.
It is our hope that this video will serve to enlighten
and foster a new awareness and understanding.
Thanks for watching and as always, stay safe.