The Oxford Police Department and the Miami University Police Department took a course June 6 on Judaism taught by Rabbi Yossi Greenberg and Mendy Kalmanson, a full-time police chaplain with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office. 

Yossi is the director of Chabad at Miami University, an organization that helps Jewish students find a community in college. Yossi also acts as a consultant to Oxford Police when questions about Judaism arise.

The class went in-depth about how Judaism works and the effect of the Sabbath on worshipers.

Last year, Yossi reached out to the Oxford Police Department to arrange the class to educate officers on how to combat anti-semitism, what makes food kosher and general information about Judaism.

“When they interact with the Jewish community, they should understand a basic level of knowledge,” Yossi said. The course lasted two hours. 

“He understands that we don’t know and he’s very accommodating to our questions,” said Oxford Police Lt. Lara Fening.

The training included Kalmanson going through different scenarios that could occur between officers and Jews, drawing from his experience with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. Many examples revolved around the Sabbath, a religious day from Friday evening to Saturday evening that is an abstinence from work for some Jewish people.

“We could see situations on the Sabbath where they would have limitations or restrictions,” Fening said. “We would not know that and they would have to explain everything from scratch to us [without the course].”

Issues surrounding using cars, calling the police and signing a ticket were all brought up in the course to the approximately 25 officers that attended.

Yossi saw the event as a success not just for the police, but for residents as well.

“Both departments engaged well and asked great questions,” Yossi said. “Conversation flowed about what to look out for and how to be the best resource for the Jewish residents and students.”