Edison, NJ – Rabbi Bernhard Rosenberg, who has served as chaplain for the township’s Department of Public Safety since 1992, was terminated from his paid position Thursday because his appointment never met legal requirements, officials said.
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Rosenberg served in the part-time position with an annual stipend of $3,800.
According to a letter sent by township business administrator Dennis Gonzalez to Rosenberg on Wednesday, the reason for termination was that the manner in which Rosenberg was appointed police chaplain previously was inconsistent with state law.
“An appointment as police chaplain requires the existence of a municipal ordinance. No such ordinance has been adopted by the Edison municipal council,” the letter said.
Gonzalez said a search of township records revealed that there had never been such an ordinance. He said there was documentation of Rosenberg’s appointment as chaplain but it didn’t meet the legal standards.
“It is incumbent upon us to not continue to violate the law,” he said.
Rosenberg, however, described the requirement for an ordinance as “baloney.” He noted that he has been serving in the position and getting paid under former Mayor Sam Convery, former Director of Public Safety Peter Barnes Jr., former Mayor George Spadoro and former Mayor Jun Choi.
“You mean to tell me that all of them had me on all these years illegally?” he asked.
Gonzalez said Mayor Antonia Ricigliano has asked the township attorney to draft an ordinance creating the position of one or more chaplains — which will include clergy members serving in unpaid, voluntary positions – and submit it to the municipal council at its next meeting.
“If the ordinance is effective, the mayor has indicated at that time she may appoint more than one chaplain and if Rosenberg wishes to continue he may do so,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said the mayor may appoint more than one chaplain “to include multiple religions as we have a really diverse community.”
“If there is going to be more than one chaplain I am not interested,” Rosenberg said. “I have been chaplain of all religions since Day One.”
He also said he would not agree to serve in the position for free.
“I think I’m worth being paid and I do real work,” he said. “If the township can’t afford to pay me now, they can pay me later.”
He said in his role as chaplain, people come to him for professional guidance, marital counseling and personal problems. He also noted that he has two doctoral degrees and that he is a “paid professional.”
Chaplains in neighboring towns serve on a volunteer basis. East Brunswick has three unpaid chaplains.
New Brunswick has seven fire chaplains and six police chaplains, who were not appointed through an ordinance. “They are volunteer positions appointed by the police director and fire director,” said the city’s management specialist, Michael Beltranena.
Ales is gelt gelt gelt! This mayor wants to save a lousy $4,000 which is discpicabule, but while still on the otter hand this rabbi is going to stir up a chilul hashem at best and a religues envy war over a lousy $4,000 what a shame we have come to this. Now for the mayor ur a disgrace pushing out somone for a few pennies. But for the rabbi do me a favor get a real job, and have a bisleh bitachon, you’ll make more than $4,000
why would a town the size of Edison with its very limited number of jews residing there need a chaplain. Rabbonim at shuls in Edison fulfill all the needs of their congregants. THis was a waste of money and I commend the officials for dumping him. YOu know, we make up all these phoney baloney positions in municipal govts and then people complain all day long about high property taxes. You cant have it both ways. Kudos for getting rid of this phoney baloney position at taxpayers expense.
Not worth printing, he made less than 100/wk
A joke,,
He is a conservative clergyman. Indeed since his religion is not Judaism he might as well be the chaplain for all religions, as what he practices is not notzrus or Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism either.
“”If there is going to be more than one chaplain I am not interested,” Rosenberg said. “I have been chaplain of all religions since Day One.”
He also said he would not agree to serve in the position for free.
“I think I’m worth being paid and I do real work,”
Wow, sounds like a really pius, religous upstanding man. Talk about a money grubbing greedy person……must make you so proud!
i vote for Rabbi Yehoshua “josh” Pruzansky as chaplain!!
he is director of Agudath Israel NJ and from the biggest askonim in the tri state area and has a very good relationship with local and state officials!!
Let’s get a few issues straight!
A. Police and Fire chaplains do lots of things no so publicly obvious. Example: It frequently is the Fire Department chaplain who takes charge of the body of a fire victim.
B. Rabbi Rosenberg has REITS semicha. He was encouraged by REITS to take the pulpit he now has. Regardless of one’s views on the matter (mine are very, very skeptical, to say the least), Rabbi Rosenberg has done much to keep Jews Jewish amidst all of the problems of the so-called “Conservative Movement.”
C. Without going into details, Rabbi Rosenberg has seen 5 aces come off the deck in various matters, including but not limited to item B above.
As a taxpayer (albeit not in New Jersey), I support the Edison’s efforts to reduce the cost of government.
But I also support Rabbi Rosenberg’s desire to not be the flunkie for someone’s political agenda. Saving tax money is one thing, but the Rabbi understands that the Township’s haughty politically-motivated pretenses can have a corruptive effect.
The way I see things, Rabbi Rosenberg is keeping the Township honest, even at the cost of has gig with them.
He is NOT a “money-grubbing greedy person.”
Rabbi Rosenberg is a Holocaust scholar who has dedicated his life to helping survivors and their children. He is a master teacher with two Doctorates. This is tne man that was terminated because Burt Gimmelstob scares the Mayor into doing cracy things. Do not worry this Rabbi is a fighter.
Actually the RabbiI gets paid for teaching sensitivity sessions and producing training films. A professional usually charges a substantial amount of money for this. He also possess two Doctorates and counsel.s professionally. For your obnoxious writers all his children are YU graduates or attending YU . His married girls wear Sheitels and his boys wear their Tzisis out. The man behind all this, a Burt Gimmelstob, to the best of my knowledge eats treif and is mechalel Shabbat. and has hurt many people professionally and ruined reputations.
This isn’t the first time he’s been pushed out of a law enforcement chaplain position. Interesting. I wonder what he has to say about that. Further, he is probably the only paid police chaplain in a suburban town in NJ.
Edison needs more than a Jewish Rabbi as the Chaplian. For instancance, most of the Police Officers in Edison are Catholic. They would feel more comfortable dealing with a Priest. Well, I guess we know how much political clout the Rabbi has now.