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Rabbi Andrew Bloom, religious leader of Congregation B'nai Israel in Rumson, is the borough's new police chaplain, and is the first Jewish leader to assume the municipality's chaplaincy post.

Bloom was sworn in as chaplain Jan. 1 during Rumson's annual reorganization meeting. His wife, Michal, and their three children, ages 12, 9, and 5, were present at the ceremony. Bloom's predecessor was the Rev. Foster Wilson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Rumson, who died in 2008.

"The relationship between religious institutions and local police departments is extremely important," Bloom told The Jewish State. "I believe being a police officer is one of the hardest jobs in the world. The police put their lives on the line to protect the public, and the Talmud says that if you save a life, you help save the world."

Bloom, a Morganville resident who came to B'nai Israel, which has 417 member families, in 2005, said becoming the police chaplain will be beneficial to the synagogue, the Jewish community, and the community at-large.

"We want to be an integral part of the local Jewish community and the wider community, and we want to form relationships between all Jewish and non-Jewish Rumson residents," he said.

Bloom and Rumson Police Chief Richard Tobias formed a friendship when the rabbi first arrived at B'nai Israel. They met during Bloom's first week at the synagogue, and have been friends and colleagues since that time.

"I regard him as a personal friend and professional colleague," said Tobias, who heads Rumson's 17-member police department. "He has tremendous compassion for everyone."

The crime rate is low in the five-square-mile town, which has a population of approximately 7,264; the median income per household is $155,589, according to figures compiled in 2008.

"We're proud of the low crime statistics, but like any other town, we do have emergencies and events that require the skills of a chaplain," Tobias said. "Before he became the department's official chaplain, Rabbi Bloom has helped us. He's a great person and a great asset, and I look forward to years of working with him."

And Bloom has mutual respect for Tobias and the police department. "Whenever we've needed them, such as when a synagogue employee became ill, the police came within minutes," Bloom said. "Sometimes, we take it for granted that our streets are safe and our schools are drug-free, but it's only because of the hard work of the police. They deserve our respect."

As chaplain, Bloom said he will be a resource and confidant for police officers and their families in times of crises, emergencies, and other life-cycle events, both good and bad. He also will deliver invocations and benedictions at many municipal events and holiday celebrations.

"My spiritual and religious faiths have always been strong," said Bloom. "My parents helped found a Conservative synagogue in the Maryland area in which I grew up, so I've always been involved in synagogue and community life."

When he was 19, he moved to Israel and joined the Israeli army. He served as a combat medic and was stationed with an artillery unit in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza.

As a medic, Bloom saved the lives of both Israeli and Arab soldiers. "There is no difference when someone is wounded and needs medical treatment," he said. "I learned to develop compassion for the physical and psychological pain endured by the wounded and I knew that I wanted to do something in the future that would help ease pain."

After being honorably discharged, Bloom studied education and history at the State Teachers College-Seminar Hakibutzim.

After graduating with honors in 1995, Bloom entered rabbinical school at the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, the Israeli branch of the Jewish Theological Seminary. During his studies, he served as a crisis counselor and also counseled those who called a crisis hotline at Jerusalem's Shaarey Tzedek Hospital.

"Those were valuable experiences," said Bloom. "I learned to be non-judgmental and to be a non-threatening presence."

After completing his work at the Schechter Institute, Bloom became the religious leader at Saint Albans Masorti Congregation in England from 1999 to 2000. He was also a guest rabbi at New Whetstone Masorti Congregation in London at that time.

In 2000, Bloom returned to the United States, where he served as assistant rabbi at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in Woodcliff Lake before becoming religious leader of B'nai Israel.

"I think my experiences will help me with my new chaplaincy," he said. "I want to be a chaplain that can be called upon at any time. It's a way for me to give something back to a community and a police department that have shown great respect to myself and the congregants of B'nai Israel."