Rabbi Alvin Kass, NYPD chaplain for almost 60 years, dead at 89

Rabbi Alvin Kass, who served as a respected chaplain in the NYPD for nearly 60 years, has died, department leaders announced Wednesday.

He was 89.

The dedicated Jewish leader was remembered as a source of “strength, guidance, and faith for generations of police officers and their families” and shepherded the force through numerous tragedies, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a glowing remembrance.

The US Air Force veteran started with the Finest in 1966, when he became the youngest chaplain in department history at the age of 30, the top cop said.

“Rabbi Kass devoted his life to service, to this city, and to the women and men of the NYPD. He comforted the grieving, counseled the troubled, and reminded all of us of the deeper purpose in what we do,” Tisch said.

“He was among the first to respond after 9/11, consoling the families of the 23 officers we lost that day. And for more than half a century, he stood beside our members through moments of tragedy and triumph alike.”

Kass died early Wednesday, and department officials conducted a dignified transfer of the chief chaplain with scores of cops on hand.

Funeral services for Kass are scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. at the East Midwood Jewish Center in Brooklyn.

He’ll be interred at the Cedar Park and Beth El Cemetery in Paramus, NJ.

Condolences poured in across the city as local leaders remembered Kass as one of “kindest people.”

“Rabbi Kass was a pillar of strength and comfort for the NYPD. He consoled us through the monumental tragedies and personal hardships. Whenever you needed solace or help, he was there for you,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

“Thank you for everything, Rabbi. May his memory be a blessing.”

Former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton called Kass a “steady presence” in the city.

“An Air Force Veteran, he devoted nearly six decades to the men and women of the NYPD, to their families, and to this city — and his life to the service of others,” Bratton tweeted.

“His loss will be felt deeply across the Department and beyond, but his spirit, his kindness, and his example will endure.”

“One of the kindest people you could ever meet, he gave his entire life to serving God, community and the city he loved,” Brooklyn state Assemblyman Kalman Yeger said.