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Dear Officer Garelik

Shiva Stars

by
Marc Tracy
December 01, 2011
Sanford Garelick.(New York City Transit Police Department)
Sanford Garelick.(New York City Transit Police Department)

Each week, we select the most interesting Jewish obituary. This week, it’s that of Sanford Garelik, who died Saturday at 93. Garelik “was a Jewish cop, so nothing human was alien to him,” says a friend. He was the New York Police Department’s first Jewish chief inspector; once, he ran for mayor. As president of the City Council, he suggested the New York Yankees play their home games at the much newer New York Mets homefield Shea Stadium as a cost-cutting measure: something that took real balls for a kid from the Bronx.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.