By CHRISTINE DAVIS
Jewish Star Times
Published Wednesday, May 30, 2001

What's a card-carrying heart-saver? When Rabbi Suzanne Carter refers to herself and other local police chaplains by that term, she means they had undergone CPR training.

But she says they are also heart-savers of another sort.

There are about a dozen volunteer chaplains for Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Two rabbis serve Boca Raton: Yaakov Nerenberg and Merle Singer. Suzanne Carter, serves Delray Beach.

Rabbi Carter is chief chaplain for the Delray Beach police. She believes that religious leaders should be involved in their communities. Serving one's community as a chaplain is something a person has to grow into, she said.

``You are working with people at crucial points, like a traffic fatality, for example, where we go with the police officer to tell the family.''

Carter is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and German refugee. Her oldest son, Ari, was born in Tel Aviv during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Her youngest son, Aviel, is 15. She became a rabbi in 1994 and calls herself an independent.

``I serve the unaffiliated Jewish community and interfaith families performing all life cycle ceremonies in the South Florida area,'' she said.

She explains why she has chosen to be a chaplain. ``Many in South Florida are not affiliated with a synagogue or temple, so reaching out to them is important so that they can renew their connection with God and their heritage. And when do we renew? When we are in crisis.''

``In the Torah, we are commanded to do unto others, to be kind and compassionate. It's not about running to the church or synagogue, not that I negate the importance of that, but about how we live our life on a daily basis. It's about our community and how we give back to it. There is always someone with difficulties, and you should be there for them.''

In addition to their tasks to service personnel and community members in times of crisis, they hold a Thanksgiving service with the Clergy Association of Delray Beach and the police and fire officials for the people of Delray Beach.

``The chaplain program is a tremendously valuable asset to not only the police and fire departments but to all of Delray Beach,'' said Major Larry Schroeder, who coordinates the program. 'Providing comfort to those in need, the chaplains are only a call away.''

Sargent Eric Lawrence of the Boca Raton Police Department and coordinator of its chaplain's program says the same.

``They have been an invaluable resource to personnel. They have built solid relationships with the officers, including supervisors, and are also asked to help and assist in employee issues. Our supervisors see them as the valuable resource they are,'' he said.

He also applauds the chaplains who volunteer to ride along with officers as a way to build relationships and he points to the annual Police Officer Appreciation Week in December headed up by the chaplains.

``They go out of their way to let us know that police officers are appreciated. It's called `Let Your Light Shine,' and the community is asked to display a candle with a blue bulb in the window. Officers driving by see they are supported by the community.'' Yaakov Nerenberg, of Temple B'Nai Or of South Florida in Boca Raton, started as a chaplain for Boca Raton's police department about a year ago.

``In as much as Boca is 54 percent Jewish, I walked in and volunteered. They said `good,' and handed me a shirt,'' he said.

He talks about some of the work he has done as chaplain. A family, whose 19-year-old son had overdosed, had requested to talk to a rabbi.

``At the hospital, I found two other chaplains, a Unitarian minister and a Presbyterian minister. They said, `thank God you're here.' I spent most of that day with the family.''

He says that comforting another goes beyond denominations and gives an example of when he was called to an assisted living facility.

``The nurses said, 'Rabbi, Mrs. Angelouci has not eaten and really wants to die.' I go and she was kind of asleep. I sit. She opens her eyes. `Hello Rabbi.' `Hi, Sally. I have a problem. The nurses tell me you want to die.' She tells me she's 84. Her family is all up north and she hardly ever sees them. I walk to her bureau and point to the pictures there.

`Who are these children?' I ask. `They're my grandchildren. They're beautiful.' I tell her she hasn't finished her job. 'How about if your son calls once a week, and you and your grandchildren talk? That way you can help them understand about the right things to do.' 'What a wonderful idea,' she says. `Can I bring you lunch, Sally?' `Yes, I'm hungry.'

``It's just motivation, but it's needed. I told her if she was Jewish I would talk to her about Halacha. It's Jewish law. You must eat. Your body belongs to God. She agrees that it makes sense.''

Rabbi Merle Singer, of Temple Beth El in Boca Raton has been a chaplain for the police department of Boca Raton for about 20 years. He says that, as a rabbi, it is important to serve both the Jewish community and the community at large. As a chaplain, he can perform those duties as well as to provide an important service for the police department.

``I've been called on special cases. Once when someone very young died suddenly, I was asked to be with the family and help them through their time of crisis. I have also been called to the hospital to provide comfort and solace when the police had to give news to a family,'' he said.