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NYPD Fires Lubavitcher for Refusing to Shave Beard

NY Daily News

Police Academy recruit Fishel Litzman got the boot for refusing to trim his beard.

A top Manhattan politician slammed the NYPD’s decision to boot a Hasidic recruit from the Police Academy because he would not trim his beard.

Fishel Litzman, who was just a month away from joining the force, refused to cut his scraggly fuzz because it would violate his religions beliefs — and was then drummed out of the NYPD.

Saying he was “deeply troubled” by the decision, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer declared Saturday that the NYPD had unfairly canned a deserving candidate.

“While the NYPD can exercise control over the personal appearance of its force in order to ensure that all officers are capable of performing their duties,” said Stringer, “they are also required to make a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs.”

Stringer, a 2013 mayoral candidate, called on Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to reconsider the ruling — but the city’s top cop would not touch the issue Saturday.

“I am not going to comment on it because it’s obviously going to involve litigation,” said Kelly. “I would simply say that (communication on the issue) has been ongoing for quite a while — since actually before this gentleman came into the Police Department.

“So there’s been a lot of notice, a lot of interaction, and I’m not going to say anything more about it because it will involve litigation,” Kelly said.

Litzman, a 38-year-old Lubavitch Hasid, claims he was never given an official reason for his dismissal.

He was cited the first time for his beard on Jan. 27 and was written up again a week later.

Litzman, a father of five, sent a memo in March to the NYPD explaining that he was forbidden to cut or trim his beard in any way.

He scored well on tests and was considered a promising recruit — but his beard was deemed a safety hazard, according to a police source.

The masks recruits wear during counterterrorism training don’t fit over the beard, the source insisted.

The firing was in the works for months and Kelly signed off on the dismissal Thursday, sources said.

The NYPD has two dozen Orthodox Jewish officers on the force. The men, who are permitted to observe the Sabbath and wear yarmulkes under their police caps, are required to keep their beards trimmed.

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29 Comments

  • oh god, lets not do this

    rules state recruites must be under the age of 35, oh well, maybe you can go learn or teach your kids instead of playing cops and robbers….

  • cahim

    #1 why such a remark ?? is it your business why this person would like to be a police officer?? is it your business what kind of job this gentleman would like to have??

  • Oh, get your facts right..

    Actually, as long as your application is submitted 35 is the age. He submitted it before the cut-off. So why don’t you go home and play cops and robbers.

  • C.H.er

    I know people that are alive (literally) today because of him. a great Paramedic. Ive seen this guy in action, Our society needs more people like you!

  • stupid

    why would someone want to endanger himself and possibly others just because he decided to play police man? why apply for a job that you cannot do?

    he probably knew this before and just wants to make a big hulabaloo anti Semitic crap and all that. he has a perfectly good job as a paramedic, why go looking for trouble? anyways he is too old..you gotta be 35 or younger…

  • achen

    I seriously doubt that scraggly beard has never been touched before.
    Probably trimmed it the week before he joined.

  • Milhouse

    I don’t understand how this can be about trimming. Looking at his picture, that beard doesn’t look longer than a trimmed one; in fact the way it grows gives the (false, I assume) impression that he already trims it! So what more do they want from him, if not to shave it completely?

    And what about that Yoily on the force, about whom we used to hear so much? Does he trim or shave?

    Constitutionally it depends on whether the NYPD makes any exceptions to its “no beard” rule. If it makes even one exception, even for medical reasons, then it *must* also make exceptions for religious reasons. That is what the free exercise clause means. But if they make no exceptions at all, for any reason, then they don’t have to start making exceptions for religion.

  • Milhouse

    PS: The rule I explained in my previous comment is very like the gemoro about R Yehoshua ben Levi, when he broke into Gan Eden and swore that he would not leave. Beis Din Shel Maalah ruled that if he had ever broken his word, then he must break this oath too, but if he had never forsworn himself before then they weren’t going to make him start now. They found that he had always kept his word, so they let him stay.

    The Supreme Court treats the first amendment the same way: if you have a rule and never make exceptions to it, then we won’t make you start now; but if you already make exceptions then you can make some more to accommodate free speech or free exercise.

    This is also why anyone is allowed to sell printed matter, art, and religious objects on the street without a permit. The city decided after the Civil War to exempt veterans from the requirement to get a street vendor’s permit. So the courts said that since they’re making an exception for veterans they must also make the same exception for all first-amendment protected wares.

  • Mendel

    If the guy is a great paramedic, perhaps he should continue saving lives doing just that. But, as a cop, he will be have to be stuck giving us “no left turn” tickets during the 18 minutes before Shabbos. Who needs that? Cops don’t want to fight the real crime here.

  • #1??

    Are you depressed or something? that’s your remark when someones plans aren’t working out to support his family?
    Hmmm, i guess in your case you should be busy out of the house 24/7, we wouldn’t want you teaching your kids(if you your a parent)…

    Fishel – Good luck and we hope it all works out for you!!

  • oh god, lets not do this

    its amazing that religious ppl whos lives revolve around hundreds upon hundreds of rules everyday for every second of their lives dont get the simple concept OF A RULE!!!

    here it is for all you to read in plain english

    “The NYPD has two dozen Orthodox Jewish officers on the force. The men, who are permitted to observe the Sabbath and wear yarmulkes under their police caps, are required to keep their beards trimmed.” not too shabby if you ask me, the nypd has made numerous concessions already that no one else recieves, what more do you want ppl?? tsistis hanging out of the uniform???

    furthermore, hes applying for a job that has strict rules and regulations, such as no facial hair. its that simple. rules are rules. just like a woman cant be a mashgiach, or any other of the 613X2 do’s and dont’s. why is there no crying for a woman not to be considered a legitimate witness before beis din?? thats alot more important issue.

    a guy with a beard cant be a cop. if he is so caring about ppl he should stick to hatzhala or something, why do we need an ultra orthodox cop, WHO CARES!?

  • Nhs

    He was loved by all sergeants. He used to get the best marks. He was together with my brother in the academy. I wish him the best winning the court case.

  • kelly

    kelly is a communist, he runs the NYPD as if he is putin from russia, and he wants to run for mayor?

    i hope he gets the boot

  • CH Resident

    If Fishel Litzman would of said he needed to keep his beard because he was a Muslim (for Islam law) he would of been hired

  • yitzchok c in Jerusalem

    Way to go Fishel. Keep up the good fight! Im rooting for you!

  • Not a good fit

    Sorry an Orthodox policeman just doesn’t fit. If he is chaseing a perp and the CH siren goes off does he have to stop and let him go?
    If another 9/11 emergency happens on a Shabbat can he report for duty?
    Israel can always use more police maybe they allow beards.

  • deal with it

    This suit is frivolous. You don’t apply for a job where they have rules about beard length that apply to everyone and then try to be the exception. If this suit goes through, then I’ll file against 770 to let women volunteer in hatzolah.

    You can’t have it both ways.

  • IRRELEVANT

    It’s irrelevant what the rules are. The rule of know beards is discriminatory towards religious Jews so when it’s not just personal preference rather religious adherence, he must be accommodated. And the gas mask thing is bonk, and everyone knows that. It’s beyond a what if. There was never a chemical attack on the US in our 236 year history.

  • john

    the nypd allows beards that are trimmed to 1mm in length; he refused to trim to that length; he’s out. sounds reasonable to me.

  • Milhouse

    #12 and #26, the NYPD rules were not given on Har Sinai. They are man-made rules, and if they make even one exception for *anyone* else then they *must* also make exceptions for religious people. That is the law, whether you like it or not.

    And who told you that a woman can’t be a mashgicha? Who do you think ensures the kashrus in most Jewish homes? And what do you think a mikveh lady is? But yes, if the halacha required mashgichim to be men, then we would be bound by it. NYPD rules are not halacha, and he has every right to challenge them.

    #19, In the ordinary course of things he wouldn’t be on duty right before candle lighting, so the question wouldn’t come up. If an emergency were to come up that involved pikuach nefoshos then he would work, just like Hatzoloh.

    #23, if you file a complaint against Hatzoloh then you’re a mosser. And yes, we can have it both ways; why not?

  • Sam

    He may be a great paramedic but the bottom line is that the pay and benefits are better as a cop.
    It’s good that more frum Yidden are going into public safety (haven’t heard of any going into the Fire Department, though)((I don’t mean the EMS side)).
    There really are legitimate reasons to be clean shaven (or at least closely trimmed). The fact that we haven’t had a chemical terrorism attack doesn’t negate the fact that there are all sort of risks that are out there…and there’s always a first (airplanes into buildings? Not on 9/10!). As a Police Officer, making a choice about his own safety is one thing but it’s not about him: if he “goes down” then other lives are at risk.
    I hope that this situation can be resolved. It would be good for him and good for the City.